


Elysium

by scottxlogan



Category: X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Greece, Canon - Comics, Charon - Freeform, Demeter - freeform, Dubious Consent, Explicit Sexual Content, Hades - Freeform, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), M/M, Minor Emma Frost/Scott Summers, Minor Jean Grey/Logan/Scott Summers, Minor Violence, Persephone - Freeform, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Rough Oral Sex, Rough Sex, Sexual Content, elements of greek mythology have been added into the story, poly emma/scott/logan/jean references, slightly AU, this is an au that still resides in the comic universe, very loose interpretations of greek mythology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:35:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 97,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28084017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scottxlogan/pseuds/scottxlogan
Summary: When a simple mission takes Scott away from the X-Men, Logan dedicates himself to finding just where Scott went. What he finds is a surprising new world that takes him from all he knows into a place where nothing is what it seems. Will he be able to find Scott and bring him back home or will his efforts end in disaster?
Relationships: Logan (X-Men)/Scott Summers
Comments: 32
Kudos: 51
Collections: Marvel Reverse Big Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a part of the Marvel Reverse Big Bang 2020. The beautiful art pieces for this story were created by the talented CrowSizna. Not only did her art inspire this story, but it brought a new life to these characters! Thank you for all your talents and love for these two characters! It paved the way to a fun journey for them! It was quite the adventure! Thanks to scoganite for being my beta! It helped a lot! Thank you!

**(Artwork by[CrowSizna](https://crow-sizna.tumblr.com/))**

## Chapter One

Two months ago, Scott Summers disappeared. Without warning. Without any indication of where he’d gone. He’d just vanished. Gone without a trace leaving Logan with no choice, but to find out where he went regardless of the risk involved. In Scott’s absence it sparked a renewed obsession in Logan as he vowed to bring Scott Summers back home where he belonged no matter what the cost. At least that was the plan leading up to this moment in time until fate decided to play a hand in…wait, okay…let’s back up and begin again from the start, shall we?

It was an otherwise mundane, uneventful Sunday morning when it happened from what Logan could recall. Things at the school had been the same as always. Everything about the day had been, well…ordinary in every way imaginable. Children were roaming around the halls. Faculty were enjoying their time off and Logan, well Logan was doing what he always did on a Sunday morning, which essentially was little to nothing. It had become his routine on his days off giving him purpose and down time from the wild, reckless life of intense missions and rigorous workouts, but Sundays, well those days were meant for Logan time. Even the most mischievous of students knew better than to make their way into Logan’s path on his one day to rest and relax.

Thinking back that Sunday on the outside it was no different than the norm. From what Logan could recall there was a hint of rain in the air threatening to break away from the heat spell that had lingered for the previous week, but it never really panned out leaving the damp, humid warmth of the day to linger in the air. It made outdoor activities unbearable for some of the mutants except for Bobby, who’d spent most of the day at the pool playing pranks on some of the staff members who’d opted to beat the heat. With the others it left a great many students retreating to the indoors to keep cool in finding ways to simultaneously spend their time divided by enjoying themselves and working through responsibility for the upcoming week. Some students were all about entertainment while others were in the library still learning lessons for their upcoming classes working on homework and socializing. Some faculty were going about the usual curriculum plans for the upcoming week following the same mundane routines that Logan had gotten used to encountering repeatedly during his time with the school. It was as boring as imaginable with nothing worth paying attention to going on until that fateful morning when Charles had made the announcement that he was going to send a small team out on the mission out west.

The mission announcement was nothing out of the ordinary for the team from what Logan understood at the time. From all aspects it sounded completely boring. At least that was what Scott had told Logan in their brief exchange before Scott’s departure. It was a simple ‘meet and greet’ as Logan would dub those mundane missions to seek out other mutants who’d lost their way in the world. However, there was something about this mission that now haunted Logan leaving him to question why he’d been so quick to dismiss this mission as nothing short of mundane. It was something he had no interest in. It wasn’t even worth his time as far as he was concerned, but now it haunted him more than ever. Reflecting on the moment, he could still remember his final words with Scott before duty had pulled him from the school.

“Not that you care given that it’s your day off, but Charles wants us to go reach out to a potential new student and try to convince him to join us at the school,” Scott explained in a business as usual tone, though at the time Logan hadn’t really given it much thought.

“A meet and greet?” Logan barely paid attention to Scott’s words, unable to muster enough energy to consider what Scott was saying to him.

“Basically,” Scott had nodded while maneuvering himself around the recreation room to stand in front of the big screen television. At the time it had served as a mild annoyance to Logan, keeping him from doing what he often did on the weekend, but for Scott it was a passive-aggressive way of commanding Logan’s attention and forcing him to face Scott head on in what he was saying to his companion, “I should be home by dinnertime if all goes well.”

“And if it doesn’t?” Logan questioned wiggling a curious brow. At the time he’d been merely teasing Scott, hoping to goad him into discussing the other ‘more pressing’ issue that they’d been avoiding with one another for the last few months they’d spent with one another, “What then?”

“Then you get the pleasure of having to work on your day off to come out and deal with the situation if need be,” Scott’s lips pinched together with a slight hint of agitation. There was something about the expression on his face that at the time hadn’t really given Logan time to take pause, but now it was something that Logan analyzed on end wishing that he’d asked more questions about his companion’s mission.

“Fat chance,” Logan grumbled craning his head around Scott to take in the view of the television before him, “If it goes south, you’ll have to find your own way out of it. It is my day off and…”

“Then you’d better hope the mission is a success and you aren’t needed,” Scott mouthed offhandedly before beginning to turn away from Logan. He’d taken a step away from the sofa where Logan had been stretched out, but before he could truly walk out of the room, Logan had been smart enough to reach for Scott’s wrist preventing him from leaving.

“Have you thought about our discussion?” Logan questioned contemplating the real matter at hand that both men had opted to avoid for the last few weeks.

“Which one was that again?” Scott questioned in a casual, nonchalant tone. His face was a mask of indifference leaving Logan no choice, but to wrench Scott in closer to him. With a quick jerk of his wrist, he pulled Scott in over him, forcing Scott to face him head on.

“You know what I’m talking about Slim,” Logan’s voice darkened, heavy with sensual undertones given the tension that had followed their previous discussion. While it had been over a week since Logan had first thrown the discussion on the table, he and Scott hadn’t found the time to sit down and really give weight to Logan’s request. Granted, neither had pushed the issue, but in that moment, Logan had found himself considering his plans for the day. Granted, it was a typical lazy Sunday for Logan watching a football game he really could’ve cared less about, but with Scott leaning over him, looking like every fantasy rolled into a perfect package, Logan found himself thinking about all the things he’d much prefer to be doing with his team leader.

“I’ve thought about it,” Scott answered stiffly. His face was turned away from Logan. There had been something in his posture that at the time Logan hadn’t really considered, but now it was etched into his mind leaving Logan to wonder what had truly been on Scott’s mind in that moment when Logan had opted to confront a tense issue between them.

“And?” Logan shifted on the cushion beneath him. It was the first time that he’d found reason enough to completely look away from the television and focus on Scott, but much like every other time they’d entered into this territory with one another, he’d found that he had been shut down by Scott’s evasive tendencies.

“I promise you we can talk about _that_ tonight,” Scott had lowered his voice, unable to mask the teasing hint of desire in his tone. He looked around the recreation room, tipping his head down to meet Logan’s demanding eyes from the spot where Logan had been stretched out on the couch with a beer in his right hand and a cowboy hat on his head. Scott’s gaze lingered to the left looking at Logan’s hand squeezing at Scott’s wrist in a blatantly possessive gesture, but instead of commenting further on the hold Logan had on him, Scott remained silent standing before his companion.

“Maybe I’m tired of waiting to start talking,” Logan’s voice had been suggestive when he’d arched up off the sofa towards his team leader, “You can only test my patience so long before the animal comes out from within Slim.”

“Logan,” Scott’s lips were pinched together in that same agitated press that Logan found himself appreciating every time he’d pushed his team leader’s buttons. It was an indication that Scott was preparing to lecture him, but instead of allowing the action, Logan used it to his advantage igniting a more primitive response in his companion.

Without waiting for permission, Logan snaked his arm around Scott’s shoulders pulling him forward into a rough, explicit kiss making no mistake about what his intentions were for the man he’d been fantasizing about for more years than he cared to admit. At first Scott was hesitant to give in to temptation—always doing his best to stay focused on the mission at hand, but it made no difference when Logan’s lips commanded Scott’s growing in intensity until Logan had effectively pulled Scott over him, kissing him with all the pent up frustration and desire that they’d been tempting one another with for the last few months. Yes, they’d agreed to take things slow until they were ready to reach the next level, but it seemed that every opportunity that they had moving towards a deeper intimacy between them was thwarted by some situation or another. Whether it was a threat on the world around them or a problem within the walls of the school, it seemed as if their decision to take their relationship to the next level was constantly being put into the background, pushed aside in favor of obligation. At that moment, however, Logan was refusing to stall any longer.

**(Artwork by[CrowSizna](https://crow-sizna.tumblr.com/))**

With Logan’s arms around Scott, he deepened the kiss, bringing his arms around Scott’s lean, slender form, hoping to imprint the taste and scent of his lover in his brain for the time they’d spent apart. Only at that time Logan hadn’t realized it would turn into what it had. A couple hours had transformed into the greatest nightmare in Logan’s life leaving him to question why in the hell he’d allowed Scott to slip away from his arms. At the time, however, with Logan’s hands sliding down to squeeze at Scott’s perfect, pert bottom, coaxing Scott to wrap his thighs around Logan’s muscular form, it hadn’t really registered that fate would screw them both over. Instead, Logan had managed to do the unthinkable in coaxing Scott to stretch out over him on the couch, engaging in a hot and heavy make out session that they’d been careful to be discreet about in the past. Upon Logan’s urging, Scott was grinding over him rubbing against Logan’s hardening arousal, moaning into Logan’s mouth as the scent of Scott’s arousal guided Logan on overload arching his hips up to force a sense of movement between them. Logan’s palms were gripping roughly on Scott’s hips, undoubtedly leaving bruises in his wake, but it didn’t matter. The delicious friction between them through their clothing was enough to send Logan’s mind swimming with possibilities, for his body to grow harder, yearning to spend the rest of his Sunday morning forcing Scott to lean over the back of the couch and showing him a whole new meaning of intensity. The thought was enough to make Logan increasingly harder causing him to growl when Scott’s fingers reached out to tug at his wild, unruly hair. Scott pulled at the dark strands urgently, refusing to hold back on his own desire as the kiss had left them both eager and ready for more.

“Have Chuck send someone else on his mission today,” Logan growled cupping Scott’s bottom in his thick fingers, “Send Alex or Ororo or…”

“Alex is going with me,” Scott practically moaned grinding up against Logan in a taunting shift. His own arousal filled Logan’s senses causing Logan’s pulse to quicken and his body to react with the same instinctual response he had every time Scott was near him. Everything about the scent of Scott seduced his senses, making his mouth water and his cock stiffen with need—caught up in a primitive lust at just the sight of him. It was a response reserved only for Scott leading to unsavory results when desire was met with mere frustration, unable to allow Logan’s inner beast to take control.

“Let him take charge,” Logan practically growled tangling his fingers into Scott’s thick, dark hair. He wrenched Scott down over him, forcing their mouths together in a hard, rough battle for dominance. With a low growl resonating in his throat, Logan gave his hands the freedom to roam over Scott’s body, to push in beneath the waistline of his slim cut jeans, pushing into the modest fabric of his cotton briefs to seek out the warmth of Scott’s body over his. With a teasing curl of his index finger and a bite at Scott’s plump lower lip, Logan could feel Scott giving in to Logan’s unspoken request.

“You know how good I am at taking charge,” Scott practically moaned into Logan’s mouth as the kiss intensified. Without warning Scott reached out behind his back to seize Logan’s wrist and pull Logan’s hand out of his pants. With a quick, snapping motion, Scott had guided Logan’s wrist up over his head, pressing it firmly into the arm of the couch as Logan looked up at his companion.

Without a word, Scott guided Logan’s other arm up as well, squeezing Logan’s wrists together in a firm, warning grip. For a moment Logan feared that Scott would break away from him, but instead Scott leaned forward nipping at Logan’s lip with a newfound hunger. His body shifted over Logan, driving Logan wild when Scott’s damp kisses carried over the side of Logan’s neck, dipping down into the curve just beneath Logan’s ear. Closing his eyes Logan growled when Scott’s tongue teased over the shell of Logan’s ear, naughty and playful until he offered up teasing nips upon the lobe, “You like me in charge, don’t you?”

“There’s something to be said about following your lead,” Logan practically growled ready to pounce on his fearless leader, but before he allowed Scott to turn the tables on him, Logan wiggled out of Scott’s grasp and shifted their positioning. Soon Logan was on top of Scott, holding him down against the couch and guiding Scott to the place where Logan once was pinned down to the cushion and wanting more with his lover over him. Smiling down at Scott, Logan couldn’t help, but find himself longing to win the battle of dominance between them, “but at the same time there’s also something delicious about watching you fall to pieces with my tongue over your…”

“Logan…” Scott’s face grew a deep shade of crimson when Logan’s grip on Scott’s wrists constricted. He guided one hand down over the center of Scott’s pants blatantly massaging him through the material knowing full well that Scott was weak to the rough caress that Logan had to offer.

“Wouldn’t you rather work on that secret mission we have going on between us?” Logan slurred palming Scott through his slacks. He leaned forward biting on Scott’s shoulder, leaving a damp spot on the shirt Scott was wearing while his fingers continued to tease Scott, “Alex is a big boy. He can more than take care of himself.”

“I didn’t say he couldn’t, but…” Scott moaned, throwing his head back into the arm of the couch. There was no mistaking his hunger, no denying the fuel that was burning at the center of his subconscious guiding him to face the inevitable struggle that his connection to Logan had always built inside of him guiding him to sweet surrender and internal torment over how deep his hunger for Logan truly ran.

“I need you,” Logan confessed depositing damp kisses over Scott’s neck, his forehead, down over his cheekbones and finally over his lips when the idea of spending a Sunday morning without Scott left Logan less than satisfied in his down time.

“You need to go jerk off somewhere or better yet wait for me to get back tonight,” Scott’s voice held an air of teasing, but there was nothing light in his voice when tension and desire carried over his tone. He was undoubtedly fighting a war within himself, caught up in obligation versus desire, in wanting so much more, but being so loyal to Charles Xavier and his cause.

“What if we jerk each other off and tell Chuck to find a new team leader for the day?” Logan wiggled his brow suggestively. He moved in for the kill claiming Scott’s lips again in an erotic assault sure to set Scott’s primitive nature ablaze, but when it seemed that Logan’s method of persuasion was about to break through the surface, Scott reluctantly tore himself away from the kiss.

“I’ve really got to go,” Scott had explained in a breathless apology, slowly detangling himself from Logan’s embrace. Still caught up in the moment Scott touched the side of Logan’s face and offered up that same sexy, red faced grin that had captured Logan’s attention from the start, “but I promise you when I get back this will be continued.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” Logan had reached for Scott’s wrist again hoping to prompt Scott to give into temptation for a few seconds longer. Unfortunately, duty called, and Scott simply walked out of the room leaving Logan to deal with the aftermath of his lover’s retreat.

Now it was that last exchange that Logan obsessed over day and night wishing like hell that he would’ve paid more attention to all of it. If only he would’ve savored the moment longer or even volunteered to tag along on the mission maybe things would’ve turned out differently. If only he would’ve found a way to join Scott on his adventure, then perhaps he wouldn’t be seated on this bougie private jet about to do the unthinkable in finding his way off the grid in the hopes of rediscovering his old colleague’s whereabouts.

“What you’re suggesting is dangerous Logan,” Jean’s worried voice had attempted to coax him into revealing his location to her, but he’d refused making her promise not to read his mind when he explained the situation to her, “Scott wouldn’t want you to do this on your own.”

“We’ve waited long enough for word on him. No one else is going to go looking for him the way that I will. I can do things and go places that others can’t or won’t do. You know that,” Logan offered up knowing full well that neither one of them would truly be able to rest until Scott was back home again, safe and secure in the school after the rest of the team had been convinced that Scott was gone forever, “I have to do this Jeanie and in doing so I have to do it my way. As much as I want to let you in, you need to stay on the sidelines for this one.”

“If you think you’re protecting me by keeping me in the dark…,” she frowned clearly unhappy with his decision to leave her out of the loop on his quest to bring Scott home again.

“You’re needed here Jeanie,” Logan had offered up reaching out to touch her shoulder gently. He could sense her apprehension, knew full well of the helplessness that she was feeling as he’d been surrounded by it too when they’d lost Scott, but still he knew full well that where he was going he needed to go on his own without any fear or concern of losing anyone else important to him, “When I find him, I’m going to need you to bring us back if things get out of control. By having you here, it means that we’ll find our way back again, but if something happens to you as well…”

“I don’t think that’s a smart decision,” Jean had attempted to argue with him, “Considering our history with one another I think it’s important that I stay involved and…”

“Trust me,” he had pleaded his case reaching out to take her hand in his, “I have to do this on my own for now. It’s the only way to ensure that nothing goes wrong. You are staying here because that secures our future should things go awry. When the time is right and we need to bring him back, then you’ll be the first to know. I have to explore what is out there on my own and if this is the only way, then you have to trust me.”

“It isn’t you that I don’t trust,” Jean’s worried eyes told him all he needed to know about how out of his league he was on this mission, but it didn’t matter. Bringing Scott home did. As much as he knew she hated him closing her out and leaving her out of the loop on this mission, he was also aware that she too would understand the necessity behind his secrecy.

“Just make sure the both of you return in one piece,” Jean had pleaded with him when it was clear that there would be no talking Logan out of his search. More than anything she’d wanted to accompany him, but the cryptic invitation was meant for Logan alone. Yes, it might’ve been a red flag to the others, but Logan wasn’t concerned with it. He knew full well how to hold his own and as for Jeanie, well, she would have to cover for him with the Professor at least until Logan had his bearings about him and brought Scott home. Logan had sworn to her that when he found Scott again, he would do just that. Wherever the mystery of Scott’s disappearance had taken him to Logan was going to make for damn certain that Scott was home again and once that happened, Logan wasn’t ever going to let go of Scott again.

Now as Logan sat in the plush, velvety seat of the luxury private jet that had been waiting for him on the hanger, he found himself contemplating who his mysterious benefactor for this journey had been. Aside from the cryptic invitation from a shell company called Elysium, Logan was left with more questions than answers. It seemed that whomever had taken Scott had gone well and out of their way to stalk and reach out to Logan during his search. After two grueling months of agony, searching had left Logan with more dead ends than he’d cared to admit. He’d been no further to exposing the truth when the Elysium invitation had fallen into his lap quite literally. Closing his eyes, Logan thought back to the night when the mysterious invitation had arrived in cryptic fashion underneath the door of his rundown motel room in Las Vegas at a less than upstanding casino when he’d been chasing yet another lead that hadn’t panned out. From the intel that Logan was able to gather prior to his arrival in town, he’d learned that it was the last place where anyone had seen Scott before he’d been separated from the team.

“My brother just wouldn’t disappear without telling someone where he was,” Alex had argued when he and the rest of the team had grudgingly returned to the school without Scott or any idea of what had happened to Scott, “He wouldn’t just leave without some kind of clue of where he went. It isn’t like him to leave without warning.”

“What happened Alex?” Logan had questioned wondering how in the hell Scott could have vanished with his brother at his side doing a routine meet and greet.

“I don’t know Logan,” Alex had been beside himself with worry, no doubt caught up in the guilt and fear of what had truly happened to his brother when he’d gone off the grid completely, “One minute he was there with us and then the next…he just vanished.”

From what Logan gathered the team had gone out as expected doing their best to track down the mutant in question. According to Alex, they’d found the young boy Charles had informed them about living in a rundown shack barely getting by in the desert just outside of Vegas hiding out from the authorities and terrified of what would come his way should he be found out in his then current location. As Alex explained, Scott was quick to put the boy’s mind at ease assuring the young mutant that he would be safe under Charles Xavier’s protection. A short while later the boy had agreed to return to the school and the rest of the team had made plans to return home. It was during that time that Scott had pulled Alex aside to explain he had one last thing to do before they left Vegas and much to Alex’s dismay Scott had given Alex the boy to take back to the school, then shortly after Scott left their location never to be seen again. The boy had promptly disappeared shortly after Scott went missing and the mission had proven to be nothing short of a clusterfuck of a failure with Alex at the helm uncertain what had happened to his brother and the young mutant they’d hoped to rescue.

Now as Logan looked out the window of the luxury jet, he felt a heaviness in his chest wondering just what two months away had done to his companion. Scott was never one to break or falter from his mission, yet in his vanishing without a trace, it had caused the rest of the team to think the worst. They’d tried using Cerebro to track his location, but they came up empty leading both Emma and Jean to try to reach out to him—to use their connection to forge the bond between them and discover Scott’s location, but it was no use. Both telepaths had come up empty in their search although Jean’s search had given her a blip of Scott’s life force indicating that he was still alive. Something inside of her had felt his presence if only for a moment before it slipped just beyond her reach. For a few days after that the rest of the school had been in mourning, but neither Jean, Emma nor Logan had pulled away from their endless search. Come hell or high water they were bringing Scott back home no matter what the cost.

“Don’t fuck this up,” Emma had warned when Logan set off in a limousine after hours to the secluded airport hangar to discover the meaning behind the invitation in his hand, “Elysium is a company with a reputation that doesn’t cater to the masses. It’s something of an exclusive club and the mere fact that they reached out to you makes me question just what’s going on behind closed doors.”

“Maybe they have taste,” Logan teased only to elicit a scowl from his companion at the time.

“If that were the case, then I’d be the one they’d be sending out on a luxury flight to seek out Scott,” her voice carried with it apprehension and concern for their lost colleague, “I’m far more equipped to handle those type of situations when…”

“Your experience makes you an asset in this Emma, but you have to promise me…” Logan’s weary eyes met hers again.

“I don’t tell anyone until we are certain that you can bring him home,” Emma finished with an apprehensive scowl, “I don’t feel comfortable about any of this Logan given your lack of experience in such matters. You don’t know the first thing about…”

“I know him Emma,” Logan had reminded her, once again reaching out to embrace his grieving companion as she too had faced the weight of loss in missing Scott. Squeezing his arms around her, he pressed a kiss upon her cheek before whispering in her ear, “I’m bringing him back home.”

“See to it that you do,” Emma whispered holding him tighter and allowing herself to reveal the weight of the fear that had consumed her. With a squeeze of her slender arms around his thick torso, she whispered in his ear in a cold, dark tone, “Make sure you make every last one of them suffer for what they’ve done to him.”

“You have my word on that,” Logan promised stepping back and preparing for the mission that was ahead of him.

Looking down at the black card stock in his hand with silver embossed lettering, Logan realized that this invitation was meant to spark intrigue. With its cryptic message, Logan found himself wondering just what he was setting into now that someone was playing a dangerous game with him and Scott. From his brief discussion with Emma, he’d learned that Elysium was an entertainment-based company that had catered to the wealthy. They’d been more of a word of mouth service that only the most elite had privy to. Their endeavors were a mystery that even Emma with all of her connections hadn’t been able to uncover, but beyond that there was a darkness associated with the corporation that had a great many both intrigued and frightened by the possibility of what they had to offer. Reaching out to Logan as they had seemed a stark contrast to their normal practices as Emma had explained to him ad nauseum, but it was with their invitation that Logan had found hope for the first time—finally settling into the idea that perhaps his quest for Summers would lead them into one another’s arms all over again.

Now as Logan took in his plush surroundings, he realized that he was most certainly out of his league. The luxury jet was meant to impress him—to spark his interest and question his host’s motivation, but with the invitation he was left with more questions than answers about what was ahead. Looking to the overpriced monkey suit that Emma had insisted that he take with him on his excursion, he found himself feeling even more out of place. At the time she’d coaxed him to allow her to be his guide and help him play the part of the ridiculously posh elite in effectively taking her with him inside of his head as his guide so that he didn’t fuck up such a tentative mission. However, almost as soon as he’d entered the jet it was clear that those in charge had worked to block telepaths, undoubtedly creating the jet out of material similar to Magneto’s helmet thus leaving Logan entirely on his own in his quest for Scott’s return.

“You’ve got this,” Logan mouthed to himself as he adjusted the tie that Emma had knotted around his neck earlier in the day. He wasn’t fooling anyone in the costume he was in, but then again, the person who had sent him the invitation must’ve known that. How could they think anything otherwise of him given that they had sought him out in one of the sketchiest places in Vegas? He had a reputation for being rough, wild and uncultured, yet as he held the black satin finish invitation in his hand looking at the gold, metallic Elysium logo on the center of the card stock, he found himself wondering just what truly ahead of him on this latest adventure fate had set out for him.

“To find the ultimate freedom, one must embrace a true escape,” the gold lettering had been printed upon the front of the invitation. It was in a neat, high end script font lettering meant to stand out to those who’d been able to see it. It made a statement without giving away its true meaning no doubt meant to entice and enthrall the elite that had offered themselves to the exclusive pleasures that Elysium had offered them. For Logan, however, he almost viewed the invitation as a threat—as a dare to defy that which he wasn’t meant to be a part of now that he was seated in the midst of their posh, manufactured environment ready to go where no man in his position had gone before.

The invitation reminded him of his place in the world far from the desires of the wealthy elite, but also held the key to opening the door to the truth in Scott’s disappearance. Turning it over in his hand, Logan looked to the back of the card where the hastily handwritten message was meant for him alone.

“To seek out that which you lost, you must let go of your fears and inhibitions. Embrace the unimaginable to recapture love lost and find your way to paradise in revealing your true self,” he mouthed to himself thinking about how the messenger had used his feelings for Scott to guide him down this new road following a lead that most would argue held no true validity in its vague message. However, when Logan read the coordinates on the accompanying page before him, he knew that someone was daring him to seek out his missing companion. The coordinates revealed an uncharted, remote location in the middle of the ocean when he and Emma had looked into it, but he suspected those coordinates were to take him off guard perhaps leading him to some kind of portal that would leave him guessing his final destination.

“This could be a trap given that you aren’t meant for this kind of invitation. This is taking you way out of your element,” Emma had cautioned when Logan approached her about the other part of the message he’d kept hidden from Jean, “The sender’s motivation is undoubtedly nefarious at best and…”

“I’m aware of that,” Logan had grumbled going over the note that was attached with the invitation. Inside it detailed a cryptic message about Scott’s whereabouts hinting that Scott’s abduction had led him to the coordinates on the invitation. Whatever had happened to Scott in his disappearance hadn’t been voluntary. There was something dark about his departure from the world and with the invitation in hand, Logan was convinced there was no doubt that Elysium was involved. How Logan wasn’t quite sure of, but whatever it was, he was bound to get to the truth and bring Scott home again.

Looking down at the invitation Logan couldn’t help but review the words before him once again. The message went on to say that the location held dark secrets older than time that would open the door to danger in ways that only a man with Logan’s history was prepared to handle. That thought left Logan more unsettled when he held the page up in the air giving it a brief once over. Granted it sounded undoubtedly like a trap—much like the one Logan suspected that Scott had fallen into had Elysium reached out to Scott as well, but the part that had sparked Logan’s interest was the faint scent of the man he’d lost two months ago upon the page. It was barely there, but it was enough to let Logan know that Scott had touched the paper not long before it had made its way to Logan’s motel room. Whomever had sent it had made for certain that Scott was imprinted upon the invitation and the accompanying page leading Logan to realize that he had no choice, but to follow the invitation wherever it was meant to take him.

“Can I get you another drink sir?” the stewardess questioned breaking Logan from his thoughts about the invitation, “Perhaps this time a champagne or an espresso?”

“How about a beer?” Logan questioned tipping his head up to give the petite woman before him a brief once over. He motioned to the now empty bottle before him that he’d settled into with earlier on the flight. Now it served to remind him of just how much time had passed since the jet had taken off leaving no mistake about how long the journey would take him, “Or even better yet, how about a clue about who your boss is and what it is that he does exactly?”

“I wish I could help you sir,” the woman spoke up apologetically behind the polished white smile that Logan had found mildly agitating in her approach. Still as he watched her readjust on her feet, tipping her head up and rolling her shoulders back, he knew full well that he wasn’t about to get any answers out of her, “but I merely work for the airline and was hired by an independent contractor for this excursion.”

“Meaning?” Logan questioned again as she shifted on her feet to reposition her stance. Her grin expanded looking even less welcoming than it had been moments earlier.

“Whomever sought you out made for certain that they maintained their anonymity for this adventure of ours,” she explained with a tip of her head and a twinkle behind her green eyes, “Though given the lengths at which they went to in order to charter this flight for you, I would imagine they are someone very special.”

“I doubt that,” Logan glanced down at the Elysium invitation once again, “but I’m hoping that they can find a way to take me to someone special along the way.”

“Well, I can’t speak for the others, but I would imagine that if you came all this way for someone, then they must be special,” the woman smiled over at him politely, “I couldn’t imagine going through all the trouble otherwise.”

“You and me both,” Logan grumbled focusing on the invitation and allowing his thoughts to linger to the man that had slipped out of his fingers almost two months ago. Something about time only made it harder. As Logan anticipated what came next, he found himself hoping like hell that whatever situation he was walking into that it wasn’t too late for Scott.

“Perhaps I can offer you some champagne,” the stewardess suggested once again, “I realize that it might not be your idea of a good time, but it’s rather expensive and…”

“You think I should indulge in the luxury benefits that your mysterious boss has provided me with,” Logan mouthed unable to hold back on the distain that carried over him.

“Most wouldn’t protest to such a gesture,” she noted with a flirty tone. She twisted her head once again and motioned to the bottle that she’d carried with her, “It’s quite a treat I’m told and…”

“Have you tried it?” Logan questioned eyeing her skeptically.

“The staff are not allowed to indulge in such luxuries,” she divulged with a crimson color rising over her features. He could take in the faint scent of alcohol over her breath and the way that her eyes were dilated in the moment indicating that she wasn’t being honest with him. Instead she was feigning an air of professionalism as Logan knew full well that she’d been sneaking in some sips of the guest champagne in the back of the plane not long ago when she’d thought he hadn’t been paying attention to her.

“Right,” Logan smirked knowingly before winking up at her, “What is it really like?”

“Heaven,” she finally answered tipping her head down when the crimson color in her face intensified, “Extremely expensive like something that someone purposely went out of their way to exemplify what it means to be a member of the elite.”

“That sounds quite boring,” Logan wrinkled his nose at her.

“Then what if I told you it tasted of sweet and elegant with a surprisingly high alcohol content for the vintage?” she wiggled her brow suggestively, “It doesn’t take much to feel buzzed after a few sips.”

“In that case…why not?” Logan finally conceded grudgingly giving in to the experience. He looked at his invitation once again wondering just what lie ahead of him on his journey. Seeing the stewardess before him reaching for a delicate champagne flute, he let out a groan and shook his head, “Just give me the bottle. I mean at this point if my host is offering it up, then I may as well take advantage yes?”

“Of course, sir,” she nodded handing the green frosted color bottle to him, “If you need anything else for the duration of your flight, then please don’t hesitate to ask…”

“I won’t,” Logan grumbled turning his attention to the invitation once again as if staring at it alone would hold clues to its meaning.

Readjusting in his seat, Logan raised the champagne bottle to his lips taking in a long, hefty swallow of the liquid. Just as he’d suspected it tasted like bubbling piss, not at all his cup of tea, but as his thoughts returned to the last time he’d seen Scott back at the school, he continued to drink it down wishing like hell that he had some kind of time machine. If only he could’ve gone back to that moment and stopped Scott from leaving, then he wouldn’t be seated on this ridiculous luxury jet right now flying to an undisclosed location in the middle of the ocean far from all they’d known back home. If he’d only gotten his head out of his ass long enough to stop being so stubborn, then Scott would be safe and…

Logan’s thoughts began to stagger when his eyes blurred looking at the invitation before him. He blinked a couple of times watching as the gold lettering seemed to transform before his eyes turning into a cluster of golden swirls on the black card stock. With shaky fingers he blinked a few times more attempting to adjust his vision. He shook his head, tipping his head up as he found the stewardess that he’d been talking to moments earlier standing at his side again with a concerned expression on his face.

“Is there anything else I can get for you sir?” she questioned as Logan felt his throat go unusually dry. He shook his head, attempting to get the words out, but he’d found that they’d escaped him. Instead he looked down to the bottle in his hands when he was hit with the hard realization that the piss flavored champagne was somehow drugged.

“What did you do to me?” he questioned with a low roar, tossing the half drank bottle across the interior of the jet. It hit the wall opposite of where he was seated with a crashing sound. He could vaguely make out the splash of liquid that sprayed over the interior before he was unlatching his safety belt. He was attempting to spring up on his feet, halfheartedly attempting to bring out his claws when the woman’s face dropped with concern.

“Perhaps we didn’t put in the proper dosage,” she seemed disappointed in her words. Her plastic smirk was replaced with deep frown lines when she snapped her fingers clearly speaking beyond Logan to someone out of his reach, “Time for plan B.”

“What the hell did you do to me?” Logan snarled preparing to lunge at her when he felt the hard pinch of multiple syringes driven deep into his neck. Reaching out behind him, he attempted to fend off his hidden attacker, but when the burning liquid plunged into his skin, sending with it the sedative that the stewardess had attempted to offer him in the champagne, he found himself stumbling over his feet. He slashed his hand around in the air attempting to take a better look at his attacker, but when he found his attempts futile, his eyes further glazed over.

“Who the hell are you?” Logan roared attempting to shake off the drug’s effects. He turned around to see a man dressed in all black behind him holding up one last syringe behind dark, evil eyes.

“Despite the fact I have a great many reservations about this, I’m about to give you everything you could ever dream of having Mr. Howlett,” the man’s smooth and even voice poured over him like honey revealing an exotic accent that Logan couldn’t quite place in his drugged state. Reaching for the seat beside him, he attempted to brace himself up, to reach out for the man and tear him to pieces, but it was no use as Logan dropped down to his knees in involuntary submission. Taking it as a sign, the man moved forward approaching Logan with an overwhelming confidence, “You don’t deserve it of course, but you will make a lovely addition to the Elysium collection. That much I’m sure of.”

“What are you…?” Logan raised his chin up preparing to question the man in his defiance, but before he could follow through, he’d found that the world around him had faded into darkness once and for all.

* * *

A cough spilled over Logan’s lips when he found himself choking on the salt water that had managed to work its way into the back of his throat. He choked wondering if somehow the jet had crashed, and he’d found himself on the bottom of the ocean floor when the hard scent of salt water carried over his senses. For a moment he struggled to remember what had transpired on his flight. He could remember a burst of rage, a rush of adrenaline, but now he found himself surrounded by sunlight when his blue eyes snapped open leading him to realize he was far from the jet he’d been on earlier in his journey. Instead, he found himself on the sandy banks of a shoreline aching in ways he hadn’t felt in years. Coughing, he attempted to spit out the water that had previously filled his lungs. It burned much like the champagne had done on the jet and in that moment, Logan found himself remembering the treachery that had taken place during his flight. With a gasp he pulled his head up out of the wet sand spitting out granules and salt water, attempting to get his bearings back about him.

Looking around the shoreline, he half expected to discover the jet not far from where he was ripped to shreds in his animalistic rage, but instead he was met by the smooth, clear white sandy beach before him. Everything around him looked like paradise, sun-kissed and filled with a welcoming warmth when Logan groggily attempted to shake off the effects of the drug he’d been given. With an outward groan, he cracked his neck struggling to fill in the blanks on his time from the attack on the jet to waking up on a beautiful paradise island on his own. It seemed surreal—almost like he was trapped inside of a dream, when there was a loud, inhuman rumbling that burst from the water beside him.

“What the…?” he questioned springing up to his feet when he discovered the roaring sounds of a large, loud, angry creature emerging from the water. With a low roar, he found himself on the edge of the water staring up at a dull, grey colored, scaly creature before him. It was covered in tiny pale green spikes with crimson colored stripes scattered around its murky skin. As it continued to emerge from the water, he found that it towered over him at least fifty feet tall revealing in its presence six long, winding, shimmering, pale crimson and yellow necks and razor-sharp teeth. The legs of the creature were a dozen tentacle like appendages whipping around in the air around him, each one lashing and slashing around him in a violent strike preparing to tear him to pieces when the snarling beast fully emerged from the water. With the movement, it revealed itself to be sneering and covered in spiky teethlike protrusions over its tentacles. With a whipping movement, it sent one tentacle down near where Logan had been previously laying on the ground. However, in sensing the movement, he quickly leapt aside, barely escaping the ripping, tearing impact of the claws before him. It let out a screeching, deafening howl, enraged by Logan’s retreat as it grew taller within the water and the waves.

“Look out!” Logan heard a voice command when he glanced over his shoulder to discover various men in grey and white colored togas rushing over the once calm, secluded beach and holding spears. They were charging at the monster without thought to consequence letting out a battle cry when the beast before them threatened to unleash madness upon them. Wordlessly they moved into position each one charging at the foul beast without fear or concern, all ready to launch an attack on the predator set on tearing them apart. With each passing second Logan watched as each warrior charged forward ready to fight to the death with the ocean’s deadly beast.

“Move!” one of the soldiers commanded and Logan found himself caught up in the moment frozen in time and watching it unfold before him with the men attacking the monster, all ready to face its brutality in the name of neutralizing it. Without thought or reason, Logan turned to the monster again thinking about the power behind its presence. Every time it was hit by one of the tiny spears, each one of its snarled faces contorted and revealed the depth of its rage, sending the power of its tentacles onto the shore and causing a line of soldiers to scatter to the ground shredded to gnarled, bloody pieces with great ease. In an instant the army of many were reduced to less than a few dozen when Logan found himself weighing out his options. Shaking his stunned silence, he began to raise his hands up, preparing to use his claws to neutralize the beast before him when a sound rose above the ranks of soldiers. It was a loud, roaring horn spilling out onto the beach, sweeping over the water with its commanding presence. There was the sound of drum roll and cadence that followed when Logan looked up to discover the cliffs beyond the beach front.

“Now!” a voice ordered when Logan heard the unmistakable hum of the concussive force that shot from the cliffs out onto the water straight into the beast’s central head.

Upon impact, the head fell back, damaged by the bright beam that shot into the center of its core. It screeched and howled staggering towards the edge of the water once again only to be hit by another precise, shattering beam. The impact was followed by a popping sound when the beast rose further revealing just how large it truly was. However, all interest in the beast left Logan when he turned around to discover the chilling vision of the man he loved and lost on top of the hill clad only in a thin, white toga before him. In that moment Logan felt as if his breath had been stolen from his lungs. With the wind picking up on the water at the beast’s arrival, there was no mistaking the slow flowing movement of the thin toga that covered the slender lines of the muscular body that Logan had coveted for years on end before he’d sampled it. There glistening in the sunlight was the face of the man that Logan had been haunted by since his disappearance two months earlier. It was as if Logan had stepped out of a nightmare into a dream now that he found himself mesmerized by the vision of Scott on the hill before him. It was clear that Scott was focused as he sent out another blast, holding a pale pink colored blindfold in hand. His jaw was flexed, his teeth clenched as the next blast from his eyes sent the beast staggering back into the waters with a loud, bellowing wail that caused half the soldiers to bend over in agony. The sound rocked over the beach causing deafening sound waves that led some of the men to drop to their knees and place their palms over their ears to block out the sound.

“Scott!” Logan shouted immediately recognizing the man before him, but it was no use as his voice was lost in the crowd. Instinctively he rushed through the sand attempting to work his way through the blood, carnage and mass of fallen soldiers, but it seemed the wet sand proved an unsavory barrier between him and his goal in reaching out to his companion. Keeping his eyes up on the mountain, Logan watched as a stoic Scott brought the blindfold over his eyes, tying it tightly before turning around and moving down over the opposite side of the mountain without a second thought.

“Wait Scott!” Logan yelled wishing like hell that he could move faster—that he could find some way to carry his weight up the hill and guide himself towards his missing companion. However, with each step he took, his bones grew heavier, his mind filling with thoughts of terror and destruction. The smell of blood around him was enough to cause his inner beast to claw at his subconscious threatening him to tear things apart from within when Scott’s presence faded from his line of vision leaving him with an overwhelming sense of longing again.

“No!” Logan shouted pushing through the murky water-soaked sand hoping like hell that he could somehow pick up the pace. He had to reach Scott. He’d come this far, and he refused to let go without a fight. With each step his limbs grew heavier, his body teetering on the edge of collapsing while his mind ran rampant overwhelmed by the carnage around him taking him further from his goal in mind until finally he collapsed under the weight of his limbs returning to darkness once again.

* * *

  
“Wake up Mr. Howlett,” a voice roused Logan from his slumber, causing him to awaken with a shudder and a gasp. Looking around the darkened room, he found himself met by an unsettling chill in the air. Unlike the warmth of the beach he’d awakened on earlier in the day, it seemed that he was indoors with air conditioner blasting through the vents upon him far from the sun and the sand that had surrounded him. Instead he could smell the faint scent of cleaner and chemicals, mixed with mildew in his drab surroundings in this far more clinical setting devoid of any kind of natural light. He attempted to move but found that he was bound by restraints tied to the center of the room in a chair that was chained to the floor. He was still dressed in a white toga that mirrored the others he’d witnessed on the beach, but now it felt out of place when the smooth voice he recognized from the jet beckoned him once again.

“I’m sorry for the rude awakening, but I’m afraid we cannot delay your initiation to Elysium much longer. I apologize for the earlier confusion, but…”

“Who the hell are you?” Logan questioned as his eyes began to adjust to the darkness that surrounded him. With each passing second, he could see the thick, metal walls that surrounded him taking him from the safety of a life back home to the nefarious uncertainty that the man provided him upon his arrival, “What do you want?”

“As trite as it sounds, I want to play a game to test your endurance and limitations so to speak,” the smooth voice explained with amusement in his tone. The voice surrounded Logan reaching deep into his ears, working its way into his system when it was clear that the man’s voice was transmitted through an overhead speaker. Tipping his head up, Logan met the man’s statement with distain, “Do you like games Mr. Howlett?”

“Not nearly as much as I like tearing assholes like you to pieces,” Logan quipped with a snarl building in the back of his throat. He twisted against his restraints surprised to discover their power over him before becoming increasingly frustrated with their hold on him. Each time he struggled against them, they seemed to tighten, increasingly pressing into his skin and creating a darker trap for him to contend with until finally he gave up in his quest to break free. Instead he sat still on the chair pondering his new companion’s line of questioning, “I ain’t into games.”

“It isn’t just any game. It’s a very intricate puzzle, one that you’ve been a part of for a great many years without realizing it,” the voice continued ignoring Logan’s struggling in favor to boast about his plans for Logan, “You have been selected to be a part of my collection Mr. Howlett, which I’ll have you know isn’t an invitation that I extend to just anyone.”

“I’m honored,” Logan mouthed with heavy sarcasm wondering what the hell kind of game the man was playing with him. He twisted against his restraints again before offering up a growl, “Now let me out of these things so that I can show you my full appreciation for the offer.”

The voice shifted to an uproarious bout of laughter leading Logan to fight harder against the chains holding him in position. When it seemed the fight was futile, Logan hesitated in his attempts simply waiting for the situation to unfold.

“I appreciate your spirit Mr. Howlett. That’s why I’ve chosen you to be a part of my menagerie,” the voice echoed in the back of Logan’s mind, “Your strength and spirit are of great relevance to my collection. It will make you a star center of my showcase although your lack of compliance will prove to be a difficulty in breaking you.”

“Get me out of these chains and I’ll break you,” Logan promised attempting to tear at his restraints again when a door opened at the far left of the cold, metallic room. Through the darkness a beam of light filtered into the room revealing the same man in black that had blindsided him on the jet.

“I more than welcome the challenge,” the man smirked with amusement overtaking his features. As he moved through the light path that he’d created upon entering, Logan noticed the faint lines teasing over the corners of his eyes. He had a strong, steely jaw, revealing the hard lines of his features, cold and distanced from the moment despite the twinkle of amusement behind his deep brown eyes. His face was weathered by years of living a life of indulgence, but there was something behind his cold, maniacal expression that set Logan on edge, “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Atlas.”

“Atlas,” Logan repeated giving the man a long, scrutinizing once over. Almost immediately the lights snapped on in the room blinding Logan with their bright, invasive rays upon him. He flinched pinching his eyes to a squint to block out the bright intrusion and turning his head to the side when Atlas stepped forward with a wide grin, scrutinizing Logan in his approach.

“They’d said you were one of the finest specimens of man’s evolution,” Atlas reached out to touch Logan’s shoulder, “but they’d never explained just how truly exquisite you are. Yes, I’d heard the stories about your violence and brutality, but I never anticipated someone so miraculous.”

With the words Atlas skimmed his fingers over the side of Logan’s cheek, touching him with a gentle ease. His lecherous grin expanded, his mouth curving upward when he brushed his index finger over the side of Logan’s face again. Defiantly Logan twisted his head towards Atlas attempting to bite at the offending finger when he fought against his restraints once again.

“Ah yes,” Atlas withdrew from the touch, laughing wildly when Logan’s agitation became more apparent, “this I also expected. It’s one of the few drawbacks to breaking you in to my collection.”

“What is this place?” Logan snarled contemplating all the ways he was going to destroy the man before him by the time this mission was over.

“This is my own personal paradise,” Atlas informed him with a blatant bragging in his tone. He raised his arms in the air, spinning around to showcase the confines of the room they were locked in with one another, “Welcome to Elysium.”

“Elysium,” Logan repeated catching the smugness in Atlas’s tone when the man moved in closer to him.

“This is my own personal pleasure paradise offered up to the greatest bidder and you, my friend, are the latest acquisition I have made in my journeys. For you it could be your key to heaven or your entry way to hell as it is all in how you play your cards around here,” Atlas continued to explain with an overwhelming sense of confidence. Reaching out to stroke the side of Logan’s face, Atlas seemed mesmerized when Logan shook away from his touch, refusing to allow the man to touch his cheek any further. Logan’s resistance caused Atlas to stand upright, rubbing his palms together gleefully when amusement carried over his sharp, pointed features, “At first I feared that you wouldn’t find your way to my island, but now, well now that you’ve become a part of my menagerie…”

“I want no part of your nightmare. Tell me where Cyclops is and…” Logan began thinking about his reasoning for joining Atlas on this nightmare of a mission, “What have you done with him?”

“Ah,” Atlas clucked his tongue in his mouth when the weight of Logan’s words touched over his face, causing him to practically bubble over with misplaced excitement, “my most coveted piece of my collection. Before you arrived, he was the thing that most were intrigued by, but with your addition, well I think that the players will undoubtedly look forward to breaking you…”

“What have you done with him?” Logan demanded an answer once again, “Where is he?”

“You’ll soon find out,” Atlas stepped back and answered with a wide, sadistic smirk, “What becomes of him after you enter this world is up to you, but just know that in this world you play by my rules no questions asked.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to work for me,” Logan spat back at him defiantly, “Whatever it is that you think you have going on here really isn’t for me and…”

“It’s your world now,” Atlas approached Logan once again. This time he reached out and seized Logan’s face in an iron clad grip, “and the sooner you realize that I own you, the sooner you make it through this experience unscathed. Do I make myself clear?”

“When this is over, I’ll kill you,” Logan spat at him once again. This time he’d made his mark sending spit directly in the center of the unpleasant man’s face. It caused Atlas to release him and buck backwards clearly upset by Logan’s defiance.

“I will break you Wolverine and when I do, you’ll find that you’ll learn to love to submit to what I offer to my collection,” Atlas explained once he regained his composure. He pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket, bringing it up to wipe at the side of his face before issuing Logan an unpleasant wide smirk, “You will fit in very nicely. That much I’m sure of.”

“Wait a second…you can’t just…” Logan called out watching Atlas turn his back to Logan without warning. With a smooth, even stride he waved his hand at the door once again causing the double doors he’d walked through to open in his retreat. Once he was through the doors, they came to a slamming shut again as Logan watched the room fill with smoke indicating that there was gas in the air.

“What the…?” Logan questioned feeling the weight of the gas pushing its way into his lungs, fighting against his healing factor when he began to choke. He attempted to hold his breath, to refuse the gas into his system, but soon he found that he’d fallen into darkness again no closer to finding the truth to his whereabouts or to Scott’s location it seemed.

* * *

“Can you hear me?” a tiny, concerned voice questioned pulling Logan from the darkness into the warmth of sunlight all around him. With a low cough and a groan, he raised his head up discovering that he was back on the same white, sandy beach he’d awakened on a short while earlier. His lips were dusted in the same sand he’d been laying upon, his body aching and surprisingly sore when he raised his head up to discover a young boy with dark hair and amber colored eyes, no more than eight year’s old crouched down and staring at him through the blinding sunlight, “Do you understand me?”

“Of course, I can,” Logan grumbled rolling onto his back and looking up at the bright, blue sky before him. Despite the landing he’d clearly come into on the island and the strange nightmare he had about Atlas, he found himself back in the place where the soldiers had surrounded him, taking on a monster beyond his wildest imagination. The thought caused him to sit upright remembering what had played out before him on the beach upon his first awakening. With a gasp he turned to face the boy once again, “Where are we?”

“Just outside the old temple of Athena,” the boy explained with a small, weary nod.  
  
“Temple of Athena?” Logan repeated with a small cough watching the boy nod.  
  
“That’s right,” he explained. His wide eyes filled with something Logan couldn’t quite read, when their amber flecks seemed to be wearily taking in his surroundings as he knelt beside Logan, “The warriors are long gone, yet here you are all alone. You were here when Poseidon unleashed his rage upon us, yes?”

“Poseidon,” Logan repeated looking down to discover he was dressed in the same white toga looking thing that he’d spotted Scott wearing with golden colored sandals on his feet. His skin was warm from the sun, but there was something about the costume itself the caused him to reposition himself on the sand as he eyed the small boy wearily, “Are you saying that…?”

“It is dangerous to stay out here after the warriors have left.”

“Warriors?” Logan repeated felling a dull, thrumming ache in his temple.

“The great warriors that were sent to bring about the end to the battle you were a part of today,” the boy nodded encouragingly.

“What war kid?” Logan questioned scratching his head. He pinched his lips together feeling the overwhelming heat of the sun overhead. It caused the sand to grow hotter beneath him practically singeing his skin when the boy beside him crouched down with a curious expression on his face.  
  
“The old gods are at war with the new gods,” the boy answered solemnly. He raised his chin meeting Logan’s eyes with a weariness that no child his age should carry with him. He was frightened—that much Logan could sense in his presence, but along with that fear came something far darker when the boy continued to speak in a hoarse whisper, “which is why Poseidon unleased his beast upon us. The old gods are angry. They want revenge against the warriors, so they released their wrath upon the new gods, but our goddess sent her warrior to us to take on the fury of Zeus. Because of the goddess we emerged from battle victorious unscathed by the madness of the old gods.”

“The goddess?” Logan repeated looking around the nearly empty beach. The remains of corpses had been lifted from his memory, the blood and carnage washed away by the tide and replaced by the light beige colored earth beneath his body, “What goddess?”

“Our great goddess sent here to liberate us from the wrath of the old gods,” the boy explained with awe in his tone, “She and her great warrior have come to us from far beyond the deepest parts of Hades to bring forth a new day of reckoning upon the old gods.”

“Her warrior,” Logan repeated thinking about what he’d witnessed earlier upon his first awakening, “Do you mean the man with the glowing eyes?”

The boy nodded emphatically, “He is here to change everything in this war. He is a very powerful warrior—the best the goddess has ever known. She keeps him at her side because she knows he will protect us from the evil gods. He is brave and strong and he will free us all from their tyrannical madness.”

“Where is the goddess and her warrior?” Logan questioned turning his focus to the small boy once again, “Where would I find them?”

“They are at her temple celebrating our victory against Poseidon,” the boy answered earnestly, His voice carried with it an eager anticipation, the warmth of his face caught up in the promise of a victory from the madness that surrounded the ‘old gods’ but there was something about his expression that did anything, but put Logan at ease. Granted he was dressed in theme with the period, looking like a smaller version of the men who’d once walked the beaches beside Logan, but there was something far different about him—something that Logan couldn’t quite place when the boy’s expression grew weary with each passing second in Logan’s presence, “but I would caution you from entering her temple uninvited stranger. To be there uninvited would undoubtedly cause you many problems.”

“How do you know I’m a stranger?” Logan questioned when there was a rumbling sound from the sky above.

“I…I…can’t tell you…” the boy’s voice was strained when the rumbling grew stronger.

“What do you mean you can’t tell me?” Logan questioned. Tilting his head up, he noticed that the once blue sky had transformed to a dark, grey series of thunderclouds indicating that the world around him was about to change dramatically. With each rumble, the winds picked up sending sand swirling around Logan and into a tiny funnel, building in intensity with the winds rolling across the sand in a whirling rush.

“There is no time for this,” the boy’s trembling voice rose above the winds, “They know we are here and now it is time to run.”

“Run from who? Who knows we are here?” Logan questioned turning his focus to the child once again.

“Not now stranger. The old gods are very angry, and they are coming for us. I must go,” the boy scrambled to his feet running off towards the opposite end of the beach away from the impending storm as Logan threw his hands up in the air.

“Wait!” Logan called out to the boy preparing to say something more to draw him back to where Logan was, but it was no use as the boy was beyond his reach.

“Wonderful,” Logan mouthed to himself when his focus returned to the water again.

Thinking about the monster that had emerged earlier, Logan found himself on edge, readily springing up onto his feet. In a defensive stance he held his arms down at his sides, preparing to unleash his claws if need be, but as the waves rose within the water, something shifted in a slow, staggering ripple as Logan witnessed the impossible taking place before him. With a thunder cloud above, Logan watched as the water before him parted, revealing in its place a hideous looking man in a small ferryboat holding a pole in his hand. His eyes were devoid of life, his posture menacing as Logan found himself drawn to the strange new arrival. Looking down to his own hand, Logan noticed that in the center of his palm a gold coin was suddenly there, serving as his toll on the ride he was inevitably going to take with this strange, eerie ferryman before him. For a moment, he felt a sense of déjà vu, but then he realized it was because he’d been inevitably reminded of Scott’s lecture on Greek Mythology and the great Charon—ferryman and escort to the dead, guiding them to Hades in the afterlife. Only unlike the souls that Scott had spoken of in his literature class, Logan was quite convinced that he, himself, was still very much alive with the gold coin in his hand.

“I’m guessing you’re looking for me,” Logan muttered taking a bold step forward, refusing to back down as he snarled at the intimidating figure before him, “but I warn you now, I ain’t like your normal passengers.”

Instead of responding Charon stood taller, stoic and silent when Logan bridged the distance between them. The clouds above the beach in the water had darkened further yet, leaving no mistake about the storm about to be unleashed upon him. Still right before Logan’s eyes the waters were still parted as Charon extended his lanky hand, holding it out as if anticipating the first touch of the gold coin deposited in his hand as fee for the journey Logan was unexpectedly going to take.

“Did your boss come seeking me out?” Logan questioned again only to be met by silence. Shaking his head, he forced a wide grin and stood taller in an attempt at convincing himself that he was somehow more intimidating than the impending force of a man before him. Granted the man towered over him, but Logan held no fear. Bravery had been his companion for years even with someone as dark and dangerous as the ferryman hovering over him, “You don’t look nearly as intimidating as the stories make you out to be.”

Again, Charon stood silent with his hand outstretched. His fingers were practically bone with translucent skin stretched over each digit looking painfully fragile—as if a simple movement could cause his fingers to tear apart, to reveal the bones beneath the surface. His face was a mask of darkness revealing nothing about his intentions as Logan looked down to the coin in his own hand.

“This had better take me to Scott or I’m going to be really pissed,” Logan warned knowing full well that his threats were meaningless against the soulless stranger before him. With a shake of his head and a flick of his wrist, he tossed the coin into Charon’s dead hands watching as the powerful man before him simply curled his fingers around the gold. For a moment, Logan expected his guide to speak, but he merely nodded his head, stepping aside to allow Logan access to his small boat.

“Yeah, this is my first time out here,” Logan blurted out when he settled in on the opposite end of the boat, “Unlike everyone else you probably see out here, I’m part of the living world outside of all the chaos that takes place here—you know where we have more modern facilities and…”

Logan paused watching as Charon took his place at the end of the boat, moving in to navigate their journey once Logan’s fare had been paid.

“So, your boss,” Logan began clearing his throat when the water around them soon began to fall back into place, revealing the depths of the angry ocean around them, “He have a good insurance plan for you? Does he offer dental?”

With the joke Logan snorted anticipating any kind of response out of his companion, but when he found none, he simply returned to silence himself. Closing his eyes, he thought back to his strange encounter with Atlas wondering if he’d imagined it or if everything about the island around him was merely a hallucination brought on by whatever gas that Atlas had pushed out into the metallic room. The chilling memory caused him to shudder before he reopened his eyes to discover the darkened sky above the water.

“You ever run across Atlas in your travels?” Logan questioned, but much like every other inquiry he made, he was ignored. Charon simply did his task at hand, guiding the ferry to a place that Logan suspected under normal circumstances he would never be able to go. Then again, what was normal about this situation? The more he thought about it, the more he realized that very idea of him being on a boat to Hades was preposterous. He was far from Scott’s stories of warriors and petty gods in a world that most viewed as a fable. However, as Charon rowed along the water’s murky surface, Logan found himself met by a sense of impending doom. It was there stronger than he’d anticipated, rising in his stomach and spiraling out across his broad chest into his adamantium laced bones.

“The weather always like this?” Logan questioned again at another weak attempt at conversation, but this time he hadn’t really anticipated an answer. Instead he looked at the sky, watching as the overhead clouds danced above him, moving with the wind, shaping themselves into something he couldn’t quite recognize before he found himself looking to the water. With a shudder, he found himself less than thrilled to discover that the beach was no longer in sight. Instead he was surrounded by murky waves and the downpour of rain all around them. It was bold and unforgiving, hard hitting and cold when Logan raised his chin up again. Beyond the boat, he could see a mist rising above the water, thick and slow spiraling out of the water’s depths. There was a sulfuric scent in the air and a bubbling beyond the safety of the boat that left Logan to wonder just what he had gotten himself into.

“This is a real tourist spot, huh?” Logan joked again knowing it was ridiculous, but not bothering to care when a dull, thrumming, hissing sound rose from the darkened water. He leaned over the side of the boat attempting to see what was beneath the water’s surface, but it was no use. In the distance he could see the darkness closing in upon him, stealing what daylight had once surrounded him and replacing it with the blackened skies that the storm had reigned down upon him.

Swallowing down hard, Logan found himself wondering how he would fare if the boat capsized should Charon take them down the wild rapids that surrounded them. With a twist of his neck, he noticed that there was a volcano in the distance bubbling over and flowing with bright red lava and thick, blackened smoke puffing out of it’s opening and forcing its way into the clouds.

“That can’t be good, right?” Logan questioned wondering how many times volcanos came into play on the road to Hades, but before Logan could really give it much thought he found himself on the edge of another beach far darker than the one he’d left earlier.

“Is this it?” Logan questioned when Charon moved around him to begin to dock the boat, “Is this the place where you think I should be? Is this where I’m supposed to meet with your boss or is this where Scott is? Did you bring me to him or is this a journey for me?”

Saying nothing, Charon went to work, pulling the boat in closer to the edge of the dirt before them. Beyond the beach it seemed that the world was filled with a darkness unmatched by any Logan had ever experienced before in his life. Yes, while he was certain there was a part of Hades that was hell, he knew full well that this wasn’t his hell. He’d been there before, but this time…this time he wasn’t a willing traveler hoping to join the ranks of the other undead souls trapped in this dream world.

“I’m not sure I’m supposed to be…” Logan turned around to face Charon only to discover that somehow now the boat was gone, replaced by the dense cold air of the darkened beach leaving him standing near the edge of the shore surrounded by thick, unforgiving fog.

“What the….?” he questioned feeling the crunch of wet sand and pebbles beneath his feet when he took an uneasy step back onto the beach away from the water.

“This is just great,” Logan mouthed to himself wondering just where he’d allowed himself to be taken when he heard the eerie sound of footsteps in the distance.

“Mr. Howlett,” he heard his name whispered through the darkness, echoing like madness deep within his soul. Turning towards the source of the sound, Logan found himself on edge preparing to release his claws when he discovered he was alone. Still something in the air had changed, revealing something far darker than he could put to words when a low, bristling wind swept over him causing goosebumps to form over his flesh. There was a chill in the air, reaching down deep into Logan’s bones when another whoosh of air came crashing over him followed by the feeling that someone was watching him through the darkness.

“Who is there?” Logan questioned wearily, turning towards the source of the faint sound that thrummed like a heartbeat in the back of his mind. He expelled a sharp breath watching as mist formed beyond his parted lips forming into ice crystals beyond where he stood. He looked down at the dark sand, half expecting to discover frost on the ground when the air grew frigid around him, devoid of the warmth and life that the beach he’d awakened upon earlier had carried with it. Instead of the sun he was surrounded by darkness, caught up in its web of madness when the sound of footsteps pulled him from his thoughts.

“I’m sorry about that,” a familiar voice beckoned him when he raised his chin up to discover a man in dark robes approaching him. He moved with fluid ease, perched upon a chariot guided towards Logan by black horses seemingly manifesting from the fog until finally he was before Logan, high above the ground to reveal his face to Logan through the darkness.

“Chuck?” Logan questioned when he discovered the bald man before him looking far too much like the man who’d invited him into the team all those years ago. His eyes were pensive, the lines of his face tarnished by the pale skin that sunk into his cheekbones. There was something very familiar about him, but also quite foreign when the man moved from his chariot to join Logan on the sand. With each step he took closer to Logan, it was clear that the man was an imposter—his scent gave him away indicating that while he looked like Charles Xavier’s doppelganger, he was a foreign entity to Logan wearing the face and the voice of the man Logan had come to admire through the years.

“I’m afraid not,” the man smiled politely, but the gesture itself was devoid of warmth, “My council has informed me that this skin suit would be far more comforting to you after your travels.”

“There’s nothing comfortable about,” Logan paused waving his hand around in the air, when the imposter continued to bridge the distance between them, “this.”

“There we are in agreement as in my experiences I’ve found that familiarity breeds contempt,” the man noted with a pinched expression. His pale, almost blueish lips were curved downward in a deep scowl, his posture firm and unyielding as he too, towered over Logan, bold and intimidating even with Xavier’s face, “I do apologize for the conditions surrounding our meeting with one another. Under most circumstances those who make the journey that you’ve been on have far more understanding of why they are here…”

“Where is here exactly?” Logan questioned seeing a devilish smirk carry over the man before the truth hit him hard. It brought about a new set of questions when his host stood up taller, “Am I dead?”

“Much to my dismay you are one of the few living that has been able to make it through the veil into the journey to enter into my domain,” the man answered with a small wave of his hand to reveal the darkness beyond where he stood, “Welcome to Hades.”

“Hades,” Logan repeated when the fog seemed to intensify bringing forth with it deep, crimson shades of the world just beyond his reach. With each passing second the fog began to clear, offering up more teasing hints of the world his host had emerged from, “which makes you…”

“Hades, lord of the underworld,” his host bowed before him in a polite gesture, but with the movement came a scowl indicating that it was something he hadn’t done too often. Hell, the distain in his features when he stood upright informed Logan that it wouldn’t be happening ever again when his host’s cold, dead eyes looked through Logan—not at him, but beyond Logan himself to reach deeper into Logan’s subconscious or perhaps his soul, “Under most circumstances you and I would refrain from this kind of meeting, but I’m afraid that time is of the essence Logan.”

“How do you know my name?” Logan questioned wearily watching as there was a ripple of movement beneath the skin on the man’s left cheek.

“I know everything about you from your greatest fears to your deepest, darkest desires,” Hades replied, turning his back to Logan. With the movement his dark robes swayed bringing with them a spark of electricity when he returned to his chariot, “My position in this world offers up certain…perks as you would refer to them. I know a great many things about all those who enter into my domain.”

“Is that right?” Logan grumbled watching the man before him move around with ease and a commanding presence.

“It is my privilege to partake in this knowledge of my visitors,” Hades noted with cryptic amusement in his tone, “As a guest in my kingdom, I’m afraid we will have to bypass with the pleasantries before I send you upon your new journey.”

“And what journey might that be?” Logan questioned watching as a small man that he hadn’t noticed before rushed to the side of the chariot opening the door for Hades.

“To kill the false goddess of course,” Hades explained not bothering to look back at Logan in his departure, “She’s done a great deal of damage to my reputation as of late in undermining my authority and I want it stopped. Together we must end her.”

“The false goddess,” Logan repeated thinking about the boy he’d encountered on the beach, “the one who claims to be a new god waging war upon old gods such as yourself.”

“She is nothing more than a charlatan—a fake as your world would call her and it is long past time her lies are silenced. She has become a thorn in my side for far too long for me to tolerate her abhorrent behavior a moment longer,” Hades answered angrily when the man at the side of his chariot knelt down on the ground on his hands and knees. The man held his back stiff and painfully straight, refusing to move an inch when Hades placed one, large foot over the center of his spine, “Her untruths have become problematic in my kingdom. I need to have her swept off this world before her reign of terror sends everything as we know it spiraling out of control.”

“What makes you think I would help you in your plight against this woman?” Logan questioned contemplating his host’s cryptic invitation to his dark island, “Why would I want to engage this false goddess?”

“Because she’s taken your concubine as a trophy to signify the height of her reign,” Hades mused with a wicked laugh. He pushed his foot down harder over his doorman, bringing with the movement a loud cracking sound from the kneeling man’s spine. Logan looked down at the man watching him grimace, but he bit down on his lower lip refusing to make a sound when his master literally walked all over him, “She’s become enamored with him…”

“My concubine,” Logan repeated turning his attention away from the doorman. Instead his thoughts returned to Scott wondering what in the hell had been going on in his absence.

“Atlas has been playing a naughty game and your lover has become a pawn in his quest for control,” Hades answered as if he’d been reading Logan’s thoughts. A moment later his voice shifted and Logan looked up to discover the man with Charles Xavier’s face was now standing before him with burning red hair and Jean Grey’s emerald green eyes, gazing down upon him with a deeper fire than the Phoenix could ever provide her with. Instead of the representation of the leader that Logan had looked up to, Hades had transformed into a woman Logan had once lusted over and had also held Scott’s heart, “He believes that he can turn the tables in his favor by manipulating the players, but he’s sadly mistaken. This world is not his for the taking.”

“I thought this world belonged to Zeus,” Logan challenged watching as the crimson colored lips of his companion, curved down into a deep scowl, harsh and angry when the sharp, pointed heel of the spiked, black leather boot Hades was now wearing that mimicked Jean’s hellfire club costume dug deeper into the doorman’s back. This time he exhaled sharply, but just as soon as the sound began, he stifled it, instead returning to the same pitiful silence when Hades was now fully in position on his chariot.

“My dear brother has been unable to control the Titans as of late. Due to his dalliances with the outside world, he’s unfortunately left open a window of opportunity for our conspirators prompting them to emerge from that trench where they have been waiting in the wings to seize control. Atlas is no different than the others as he leads the pack with these new recruits of his in a battle to reclaim what once was in his reign of terror. With their alliance he seeks to destroy everything as we know it. They are, to him, the key to his return to power.”

“The false gods and goddesses,” Logan noted weighing out the conversation with the god before him.

“Indeed,” Hades twisted his head, allowing the flowing red hair to spill out beyond his shoulders. Holding the reigns on his chariot the green eyes he’d stolen from Jean’s likeness seemed to burn through Logan, demanding his full attention, “Atlas discovered a loophole that had given him a false sense of superiority. In my brother’s absence, I’ve decided that it must be contained. The threat that Atlas and his followers pose to our world must be eradicated at all costs.”

“It sounds like a typical turf war,” Logan grumbled noticing the way that the pale skin over the slender hand that held the reigns of the chariot bubbled over in what Logan suspected was his earlier transformation from Charles to Jean’s likeness, “That doesn’t sound like a fight that I should be a part of. It sounds more like a family feud and…”

“You and your lover are very much a part of this war,” Hades snapped with rage in his tone. His bristling words shot out beyond the chariot, striking Logan with a power and heat unlike anything he’d known. Just the sound alone caused Logan to stumble backwards surprised by the turnabout when Hades looked down at him again, “The false goddess has not only staked a claim upon your lover, but she’s also stolen all that has made him who he truly is.”

“What do you mean?” Logan questioned when the shifting face before him transformed from Jean to the golden, icy blonde hair that he’d remembered from before his journey began. The crystal blue eyes and pouting lips revealed another familiar face when his transition from Jean to Emma took place before Logan almost instantaneously.

“She has locked his memories deep inside of him in an attempt to steal what he once was from his life. To erase his history frees him to her machinations,” Emma’s voice slurred from the god before him, “and she will stop at nothing to hold him captive to her desire. The only way to free your lover from his chains is to join me in my quest to eradicate the false gods and goddesses. Once they are abolished from this world, only then will you and your lover be free to walk away from his chains in this world unscathed and return to the life you’ve left behind.”

“From what you’re saying, it doesn’t sound that easy to reach him,” Logan frowned taking in what Hades was saying to him about the situation Scott had been placed into.

“It is far from easy or simple at that, but given that you are a great warrior with countless victories behind you from what I’ve been told, I would imagine you would have no trouble penetrating the false goddess’s palace and seeking out your lover,” Hades waved his hand in a casual, nonchalant fashion. He brought his finger up over the top of his costume, tracing his index finger over the ample cleavage before Logan attempting to catch Logan off guard. Clearing his throat, Logan looked away from Hades wondering if Hades was pulling the images of those in his life from Logan’s subconscious. Granted Emma’s presence had constantly given Logan mixed thoughts leaving him not quite clear on how to respond to her like he had with Jean and Scott. Now with Hades standing before him tapping into what Logan had undoubtedly kept tucked away for a secret fantasy of the seductive woman who’d loved Scott undoubtedly as much as Logan had, Logan swallowed down hard trying to figure out the dark god’s approach in convincing Logan to join his quest, “She keeps him away from the others—tucked behind an unsurmountable plethora of guards—untouchable from the outside world.”

“So, he’s her prisoner?” Logan questioned imagining what Scott had gone through for the last couple months in captivity.

“He’s the untouchable weapon,” Hades smirked in the same wicked fashion that Logan had gotten used to witnessing in Emma time and time again back home, “He’s coveted by many, but she selfishly keeps him to herself. His beauty alone makes him a savory quest to those around her, but he is untouchable.”

“Which means that…?” Logan frowned watching the way that Hades seemed to revel in his explanations.

“She wishes to claim him entirely for herself,” Hades leaned forward over the edge of the chariot offering up a vulgar view of Emma’s curves beyond the chariot. Then again Logan had seen far more of Emma back home, so Hades and his attempt at shocking Logan did nothing to spark a reaction. Instead Logan thought about Scott at the mercy of this ‘false goddess’ that Hades had spoken of, “She wishes to utilize his abilities for as long as she can keep him on a leash and then…”

“What?” Logan questioned feeling uneasiness in the pit of his stomach.

“Once she has conquered the old world, she intends to sacrifice him to her master,” Hades answered shifting again from Emma to a living, breathing replica of Scott before him. Only unlike the image of Scott that Logan had witnessed on the beach, this version donned a bare chest and was draped in Hades’ robes, watching Logan behind glowing red eyes, “She intends to take him on as a lover, but only right before she offers him to Atlas as the final sacrifice in celebrating the world that they have created beyond our reach.”

“If they are such a pain in the ass, then why don’t you just deal with them yourself?” Logan questioned feeling his rage expanding inside of him at the idea of Scott being anyone’s sacrifice, “If your brother Zeus has gone AWOL, then why not do the deed yourself and show them the true weight of your power? Why not crush them without mercy yourself?”

“Because unfortunately with every loophole comes another set of rules that simply cannot be broken no matter how much we wish that wasn’t the case,” he paused weighing out his words before he moved to the side of the chariot again. He released the reigns and moved past the door to step over the pained doorman once again. With his movement, he kept his focus on Logan, causing Logan to take pause when the man before him looked exactly like Scott. It was uncanny, but as with all the other illusions he’d presented Logan with, Logan knew it was nothing more than a lie. It was meant to manipulate him and force his compliance on the issue at hand.

“Meaning?” Logan questioned folding his arms in front of his chest when Hades stood before him. He smelled like fire and brimstone, but as his fingers found their way to the side of Logan’s face, mimicking a touch that Logan had longed for with Scott, Logan soon discovered that his fingers were cold—frigid and dead in ways that Logan couldn’t help, but shudder in experiencing.

“To challenge the imposters on my own would cause existence as I know it to unravel completely, but if you—an outsider—were to intervene on my behalf, then the rules of our world would still be intact and life as we know it…”

“Could return to normal should I be victorious,” Logan finished for him. For an instant Logan found himself staring at the replica of Scott’s lips remembering what it had been like to kiss them right before Scott had left his life.

“You will be victorious. I have no doubts about that,” Hades pushed his cold fingers into Logan’s thick, wiry hair, “and when you achieve the goal that I have presented you with, then you and your lover will be free to…”

“To what?” Logan questioned wearily, raising his chin up to stare at the imposter before him.

“To have your wildest dreams become a reality,” Hades leaned in closer bringing the replica of Scott’s lips hovering over his, tempting him with the one thing he’d longed for in the time he’d spent away from Scott, “You are the key to turning all of this around…”

“You want me to destroy your enemies in the hopes that I can put your mind at ease,” Logan tipped his head ever so slightly knowing full well that he was being fed an illusion, but in knowing how much he’d lost, he found himself arching in closer to the monster before him.

“Your lover has lost himself. His existence has been ripped away from him stealing his history without hesitation,” Hades explained gripping Logan’s hair tighter than before. With a wrench of his fingers and a twist of his wrist, he coaxed Logan’s head back, forcing Logan to look up at him with surprised eyes. Wordlessly, Hades broke into a smirk, bridging the distance between them when his words came out in taunting menace, “To break the spell that dark witch has put upon your lover, you must convince him to return to his memories.”

“So you’re saying that…” Logan’s lips parted, his breath heady as he found himself imagining what it would be like to have Scott back in his life again—to have him in his arms, in his bed tucked away from the rest of the world.

“You must seduce him in every way imaginable to pull him out from the cage within,” Hades challenged pushing forward and brazenly nipping on Logan’s lower lip. With the movement, Logan felt a tingling sensation carry over him, singeing him from deep within as Hades claimed his lips, kissing him in a wild, unabashed display that commanded Logan’s complete compliance to his request. It seemed with the kiss; Logan could temporarily forget about the circumstances—to push aside the imposter by pretending for an instant that it was Scott commanding him into the kiss. However, just as soon as Logan lost himself to the moment, the last time he’d seen Scott played over his mind causing him to withdraw from the kiss.

“No,” Logan shook his head ferociously. He leapt back unsheathing his claws as Hades stood before him looking like the man Logan had fallen for, but it was a lie. Instead he was being played by essentially the devil himself as Logan found himself struggling to remember what his purpose was on his journey.

“The way to break her spell and help me reclaim my kingdom is to make your lover fall in love with you all over again,” Hades brought his hand up over his mouth, wiping his thumb over his bottom lip as if to lock in Logan’s taste, “which from what I can see shouldn’t be hard.”

“So, you’re saying that I need to seduce Scott into remembering what we had and then this curse can be broken. Then we all go back to normal?” Logan pondered the weight of his words, “Piece of cake. Scott’s never really been that strong in resisting me when…”

“He isn’t the same man who left you all that time ago,” Hades explained further. His lips curved downward in a scowl at Logan’s assurance, “It has been two months in your time, but for him he’s been here for years trapped inside the illusion she has created. He is merely a puppet in her game—forced into a life of isolation and celibacy at her hand.”

“Again, Slim and I never had a problem with…” Logan waved his hand dismissively when he found himself contemplating the challenge at hand.

“Claiming his body is not enough to free him from the cage she’s placed upon his mind,” Hades explained further, “To truly end this nightmare you must make him fall in love with you. Only then will his memories be restored and…”

“Again, that shouldn’t be hard considering that he and I are…” Logan stopped himself when he was suddenly reminded of the way that Scott had left the school. At the time, they’d been flirting with the idea of taking their relationship to the next level—to entering something with one another that neither Jean nor Emma really understood in their encounters. It was something that Logan had been contemplating for months—wishing that he’d work up the courage to speak with Scott about, but each time he’d found the courage, he’d chickened out, refusing to allow himself to speak from his heart and not simply act upon his animalistic lust. Sex with Scott was always easy. Fighting was easier, but the idea of falling in love felt damn near impossible. Complications notwithstanding, Logan had always wondered if he or even Scott was capable of such an emotion after life had thrown them so many twists. Granted Scott had felt it for Jean and Emma once upon a time, but life was different. Scott was different. That was a part of what they’d dealt with as of late, but even in that understanding and acceptance that things were complicated, Logan himself was hesitant to throw out the L word so readily without thought or consideration.

“This task shouldn’t prove to be a problem for you, should it?” Hades questioned again interrupting the torturous thoughts that had guided Logan’s momentary lapse in his surroundings.

“Of course not,” Logan lied forcing himself to consider what was weighing upon his mission, “It will be a piece of cake. Just point me in the right direction and…”

“I can have my guards escort you to her temple, but once you are inside, I will be unable to assist you through the process,” Hades informed him when his skin began to bubble over again, “You must go on this quest on your own proving yourself victorious before we shall reach a suitable resolution in all of this.”

“And when we do, it will be because I have seduced Scott into remembering who he is again,” Logan clarified thinking about the mission at hand.

“You shall have not only seduced him, but won his heart over through the pleasures of the flesh and the inner workings of the heart,” Hades cautioned him further, “Only when you are able to complete such a task will our worlds be able to resume in what should be.”

“Consider it done,” Logan offered up hoping like hell that he could block his reservations long enough to save Scott. Thinking about what information he’d been given, he found himself hoping like hell that his journey wouldn’t prove to be fruitless. With an uneasiness building in the pit of his stomach and the racing of his heart, he extended his hand out towards Hades offering a reluctant agreement to Hades for his proposal.

“Excellent,” Hades beamed when he used his version of Scott’s lips to reveal an unnaturally wide grin. Readily he accepted Logan’s hand squeezing Logan’s fingers tightly before he wrenched at Logan’s wrist puling Logan close to him, “See to it that you don’t fail me Logan because if your journey proves to be fruitless, you can rest assured that you and your lover will both burn in my personal hell that I will have created for the both of you to endure for the rest of eternity.”

“I won’t fail,” Logan promised. Looking down at the grip that Hades had upon his hand, he was hit hard by the fact that he would essentially be entering into a pact with the devil. The weight of it resonated deep inside of him leaving him hoping like hell that he could live up to his words in saving Scott once and for all.


	2. Chapter 2

## Chapter Two

The sound of music playing filled Logan’s ears as he moved along the temple steps, ascending towards the palace of the false goddess. In her honor the stone columned building was filled with warriors and guests, all engaging in the pleasures that she had provided them in her earlier victory. To his left there were a group of soldiers flirting with a woman who’d been refilling their drinks. She was sprawled across one man’s lap laughing wildly when another touched her leg, making no qualms about his intentions. To his right there were two men fighting for a young man’s attention, doing their best to captivate and excite the devotee to the goddess that Hades had instructed Logan to destroy.

 _“By seducing Scott and making him fall in love with you,”_ a voice inside of Logan’s head reminded him. The thought was nerve-wracking if Logan was honest with himself. In all his bravado and self-assurance there was no doubt that he could entice Scott and make him come undone, but love—that was the one thing that Logan was far from being an expert on. To him love had meant pain and misery, death and destruction, but in retrospect Scott hadn’t faired any better. Scott had been met by a string of disastrous relationships and complications that had left him jaded beyond perhaps even Logan at times. It had made for the perfect arrangement when they’d first found their way to one another, but now as Logan stood in the middle of an ancient temple offering to do the work of the ruler of the Greek underworld, Logan felt the pressure of his mission coil over his shoulders.

“A drink sir?” one of the women with the oversized ceramic jugs questioned holding it up in her approach.

“I don’t mind if I do,” Logan tilted his head to the side and took a drink of the wine he was offered. He allowed it to roll over his tongue, taking in the pungent flavor speaking volumes about his hostess and her lavish extravagance with her guests.

“From the goddess herself,” the woman blushed as Logan stood upright and wiped at his chin removing the traces of wine that had spilled upon his skin, “She wishes to share all of her pleasures with her warriors tonight.”

“Is that so?” Logan questioned when the woman brought her hand up over her toga in a blatant, suggestive movement. She eased her index finger over the swell over her breast before batting her eyelashes at him.

“All of her blessings can be bestowed upon her warriors tonight after the great battle. Our victory ensures a great harvest ahead of us. As such she wishes to reward us by serving up pleasures of the flesh in her honor,” the woman clarified with a seductive smile.

“Pleasures of the flesh,” Logan repeated looking around the room to discover that soldiers had already taken to carnal activities with the young men and women serving their goddess by offering their bodies to her honor. As Logan’s eyes swept around the room, he’d spotted the two men he’d noted earlier doting on the servant girl. One man was at her side kissing her lips while the other had parted her thighs, kneeling before her and offering up a far too intimate display for their surroundings. Turning away from the action, Logan discovered another servant across the way that was nude and reaching for the two soldiers before him, hoping to pleasure them in their victory festival.

“Our rewards will be plentiful and bountiful as the gods are in her favor with her new warrior,” she flirted stepping in closer to Logan when the scent of sex and desire filled the temple walls around him. It was strong—far too intoxicating to ignore as Logan fought to stay focused on his purpose. With soft moans and cries of pleasure surrounding his senses, filling his head with images of pleasure and dark desire, he found that there was something in the air heightening his senses. It made his thoughts hazy, his mind caught up in images of things he’d long since gone without since the fateful morning that Scott walked out of his life.

 _“Scott,”_ his mind repeated conjuring up the image of the man who had prompted him to take this journey into the unknown. It was then that he was pushed back into focus, remembering the man he’d fallen for long before their relationship had reached a point of understanding between them. Now, he held onto that thought as a safety net, hoping to keep himself grounded by the knowledge of what was riding on his victory in his battle against the false goddess.

“As enticing as that may be,” Logan met her sultry gaze again when he fought to ignore the pheromones that surrounded the temple he was standing in, “I’d much rather bypass the pleasures of the flesh and share my congratulations with her warrior for his great victory over Poseidon’s beast in the earlier battle. Without his heroic intervention, we may have faltered on our quest to appease our goddess.”

“Despite the rumors, I truly doubt that he was the only key to our victory. Our soldiers fought hard in battle with their unyielding force as brave, strong men with passion and desire campaigning for our goddess and her great cause,” she answered giving him a long, appreciative once over when it dawned in on him just how short his toga was. Even if he hadn’t anticipated coming of as lewd, there was no hiding what was beneath as the sheer material outlined his all masculine form, undoubtedly giving the surprised servant a moment of pause in all of her discussions about the pleasures of the flesh, “You seem to have your own generous blessings from the gods.”

“None that should be of interest to you,” Logan whispered leaning in closer to the woman and causing her to blush.

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” she licked her lips preparing to say something more when Logan noticed a long set of smooth surfaced solid white steps beyond where they stood with one another.

The steps themselves appeared to be made out of marble looking every bit fit for a god or goddess as the grandiose columns that enveloped them looked as if they had come down from Mount Olympus themselves to make room for the new false goddess that Hades had warned him about. Tipping his head up over the dramatic staircase he found that the warmth of the sun filled the temple, drawing emphasis to the dreamy state of the world beyond where he stood with the woman at his side.

“Is he up there?” Logan questioned glancing at the woman again, “Is that where the goddess keeps her warrior?”

The woman nodded reluctantly, “Yes, but no one can disturb him or the goddess. That area of the temple is forbidden and…”

“Great,” Logan replied ignoring the woman’s warning in favor of moving towards the marble staircase eager to make the climb towards discovering his long-lost lover. Sure, there was the mission that Hades had issued him, but technically Scott was an integral part of that. After all, was it not his mission to have Scott fall into temptation and love with him? Plus, seeing Scott again after two months of separation was enough encouragement to have him moving up the staircase ready to do whatever was necessary to get back the man that he’d missed more than anything.

With each step Logan took in his ascent to the heavens, he found himself leaving the celebration and the music behind, losing sight of the orgy happening with the soldiers when the climb ultimately felt as if he was leaving the world behind him in favor of entering into another far different universe. With each step he took, the heat of the sun shined down upon him, surrounding him in golden warmth. Tipping his head up to look towards the top of the stairs, it appeared that it was an endless climb leading to the blue skies of the heavens above. To his left he could see wildflowers that he was certain he’d learned about back at the school, but their name escaped him as the crimson and golden hues momentarily captured his attention. The sweet-smelling fragrance they offered seemed foreign to their presence on the path offering up a distinct fruity flavor in the air around him instead of the rich, floral scents he’d grown accustomed to. The scent seemed to be guiding him on like a nectar to the gods when Logan stopped midmovement to take in the sight of the beautiful gardens beyond their presence at the edge of the steps. There was no reasonable explanation for their existence at the midway point between the celebration and the pathway to the heavens, but there was something about their lush atmosphere that was pulling him into them, taking him from where he’d once began on his mission.

“What is this place?” Logan questioned hearing birds in the distance. A few feet away from him a red and black butterfly was moving through the air, circling around towards an oversized, flowing tree. To his left there were gazelles running along the path causing him to take pause and question their presence in this ancient atmosphere. Somehow in all the brief teachings he’d taken in about Greek mythology he hadn’t remembered anything about this kind of place. He knew nothing about this haven away from the warmth of the world, but it surrounded him and pulled him in. With each step he took, he lost sight of everything outside of the garden in favor of following the sound of a waterfall up ahead.

“Now that’s something you don’t see every day,” Logan mouthed to himself when he stood at the edge of a clearing looking up to discover a large, flowing waterfall before him. The wild rapids were cascading over the edge of an enormous stone wall, pouring out into a pool of water larger than the one that Logan had awakened beside during the great battle.

As he moved closer to the waterfall, he found himself mesmerized by the crystal waters before him. It was exquisite, far more beautiful than he’d ever imagined. However, in all his admiration, the one thing he hadn’t been prepared for was the sound of movement to his right. Turning towards the source of the sound, he discovered the golden warmth of the bronzed body moving fluidly within the crystal waters. With each movement, the smooth, solid muscles moved effortlessly just beneath the surface, revealing the naked body before him. For a moment surprise carried over Logan watching the lone Adonis splashing through the water. When his hungry eyes fell upon the perfectly taut, muscular rounded bottom he’d coveted more often than he cared to admit in the past, he suddenly realized he had found what he was looking for.

“Scott,” Logan whispered his name, watching as Scott’s movements became hypnotizing causing everything around Logan to fade away with the man before him. With each movement Scott made, Logan found himself completely captivated caught on edge in imagining the level of skill that went into perfecting the breaststroke Scott was doing beneath the water’s surface. With each fluid movement Scott made, Logan’s heart was racing, eyes coveting the man he’d missed more than anything now that each perfect line of his body was on display revealed to Logan from underneath the water’s surface.

**(Artwork by[CrowSizna](https://crow-sizna.tumblr.com/))**

Without thinking, Logan stepped forward, moving to the edge of the water as his heart hammered wildly in his chest. He swallowed down a sharp breath feeling his flesh grow warm with anticipation just as Scott emerged from the water at the opposite side of the shore. Like the sexiest of illusions in Logan’s fantasies, Scott slowly rose from the smooth surface, causing beads of water to carry over his shoulders. Liquid heat slid down over his skin, clinging to his curves as each muscle worked systematically to propel him forward out of the water and into the warmth of the sun. Feeling his pulse quicken Logan swallowed down hard, involuntarily making his way into the shallow water up to his knees when he felt the firm grip of an uninvited hand upon his shoulder.

“Careful,” a firm, feminine voice ordered causing Logan to cease movement. He desperately watched Scott crossing the shoreline, moving further out of Logan’s reach when the woman’s fingers curled tighter around Logan’s broad, muscular shoulder, “if you keep going in there unsupervised you may drown.”

“But I…” Logan turned to look over his shoulder only to discover a woman with honey-auburn colored hair in a sheer golden colored toga standing before him. Her long, flowing hair was down beyond her waist, surrounding her in wavy ringlets. Her smooth skin was practically flawless although if you looked close enough you could see tiny lines near the corners of her eyes indicating that time had weather a bit of her youth, but that didn’t detract from her beauty. She was by far one of the most beautiful women that Logan had ever met with deep, penetrating emerald colored eyes. Her smile was filled with a surprising warmth as her hand on Logan’s shoulder seemed to be drawing him back out of the water onto the shore beside her.

“You really shouldn’t have strayed this far from the celebration,” her voice echoed in his mind like a smooth, welcoming melody meant on holding and keeping him beside her. When he finally faced her fully, he watched as her gown seemed to flow with her movements revealing the warm lines of her soft curves beneath the thin material, “It is dangerous for a soldier to be this far away from the temple’s entrance.”

“What is this place?” Logan questioned feeling the warmth of the sun upon him.

“Paradise,” she answered with a widening grin, “meant for the gods and goddesses. Any mortal brought to this garden must’ve been invited by the goddess herself before they are welcome to partake in its pleasures.”

“Where is the goddess?” Logan questioned tilting his head and giving her an appreciative once over, “Are you the great goddess?”

“Am I the great goddess,” her laugh surrounded him, driving him deeper into the world around him. With the sound, he felt it vibrate over him, rolling over his skin with the warmth of a lover’s embrace when she reached out for his shoulder again, “I am a goddess yes, but this temple and these gardens belong to my daughter. She is the goddess you seek after this great battle.”

“Your daughter,” Logan repeated finding his eyes shifting towards the shoreline that Scott had been at a short while earlier, “She is the one who controls all of this.”

“She is the one who has blessed you with this paradise,” the woman explained with an amused laugh that didn’t find its way to her eyes, “She has rewarded you all for your dedication to her cause. The temple your men built to her was a nice beginning to pay tribute to her presence in this world. Your victory against Poseidon’s beast has pleased her—so much so that she has hosted this celebration for you tonight.”

“Where is she?” Logan questioned shaking the weight of her presence in favor of focusing on his reason for being there.

“She has other matters to attend to,” the woman wrinkled her nose at him, “Much as I would imagine you do soldier. Surely, you wouldn’t want to miss out on the pleasures your colleagues are enjoying down at the temple in celebration.”

“Those pleasures are of no interest to me,” Logan announced brazenly. Taking advantage of the moment, he moved in closer to the goddess before him, offering up a flirty smile, “when I could keep the company of such a beautiful woman.”

“A mere mortal like you hardly holds the interest of someone like me,” she answered with a hint of deception behind her tone. The color rose in her cheeks indicating the truth behind her blatant lie when it was clear she was sizing him up in weighing out his potential before her.

“I’m no mere mortal,” Logan flirted reaching for her hand once again. He raised it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss upon the top of her palm. Upon contact with her skin, he could taste sweet nectar and honey. It surrounded his senses causing a warmth to spread out from his core and over his body. Releasing her hand from his grip, she stepped back, but he could see that he’d perked her interest when she cocked her head to the side to scrutinize him.

“What is your name soldier?” she questioned arching a curious brow and offering up a guarded expression.

“Logan…itus,” Logan swallowed down hard realizing that he probably should’ve spent more time working on a cover story upon his arrival.

“Loganitus,” she repeated as the corners of her lips curved upward in an amused smirk, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“And it is an honor to be in your presence,” Logan bowed down before her. When she seemed satisfied with his movement, she seemed to let down her guard down ever so slightly, “To be surrounded by such beauty and grace is far greater than any mere mortal deserves, but I am privileged to be beside you.”

“I’m flattered by your praise Loganitus,” she offered up extending her hand to him again. With a twist of her fingers she alerted him to rise to his feet again as the wind caused her hair to sway with the movement.

“And I’m humbled by your beauty,” Logan nodded doing his best to come off as in awe of the woman before him. When it seemed to do the trick, he made a bold move towards her and reached for her palm. Without awaiting a response, he raised it to his lips pressing another less chaste kiss upon her skin.

“Then perhaps we can forget about this little act of indiscretion with you sneaking into the gardens. I would rather like to have you accompany me on my walk through them as my guest,” she smiled relaxing against his kiss. When he stood upright, she held her arm out for him, encouraging him to join her as her escort through the paradise that surrounded them.

“It would be a great honor milady,” Logan replied moving dutifully at her side. Without any words they moved through the gardens taking in the greenery around them. The more they moved through the trees, the further from the rest of the world they seemed to be surrounded by wild plants and exotic creatures that Logan couldn’t quite place. The gardens were a taste of paradise that he was certain he would never truly experience again once he walked away from the world that he had entered upon.

“What truly brings you to these gardens?” she questioned placing her hand over the curve of his elbow to squeeze her long, slender fingers out over his bicep.

“To see the beauty that surrounds me of course,” Logan lied thinking about the world that he’d discovered upon his arrival at Elysium. Thinking about the party taking place downstairs at the temple, Logan found himself curious about its host, “I’d heard rumors about its existence and…”

“Earlier you were spying on the great warrior,” the woman noted as they returned to the same clearing that they’d started at once again.

“I noticed someone was swimming yes,” Logan replied fighting to keep his thoughts under control after witnessing Scott in such an arousing state.

“He’s quite the skilled warrior,” the woman mouthed knowingly when Logan feared his face revealed the truth behind his thoughts, “and easy to covet given how beautiful he is.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” Logan lied when his eyes returned to the part of the shore where Scott had emerged damp and hard-bodied, climbing up the marble steps leading up the side of the incline bronzed and beautiful in ways that made his memories of his former lover pale in comparison.

“Of course, you noticed,” the woman wrinkled her nose at his blatant deception, “Anyone who casts their eyes upon him can see just how blessed by the gods he has been.”

“Really, I didn’t…” Logan swallowed down hard hoping to refrain from giving himself away in the moment with the woman beside him.

“Desire surrounds him so much so that Aphrodite herself envied his beauty,” her lips curved downward in the beginnings of a scowl, “She resented his natural grace so much so that she stole his eyesight to spite him, but then dear Athena took pity upon him. She blessed him with generous power and skill, offering him great strength. She refused to allow the pettiness of our Aphrodite to steal the life force from him.”

“Is that so?” Logan replied taking in the woman’s words.

“He’s been gifted and blessed by the gods which is why my daughter has taken to him,” she further explained, “Once she found him, she knew that he would provide her with all that she needed in her quest to disband the old gods and destroy their tyrannical reign upon the world. From the moment she first cast her eyes upon him, he has been her savior…”

“I imagine,” Logan spoke up behind gritted teeth, “I’ve seen him in battle.”

“A great many have, but no other mortal has dared covet him in these gardens. He is untouchable,” she approached him in warning. It was a sharp contrast to the warmth she’d provided him with earlier, but still Logan found himself on alert, “The price upon any mortal who dared to feast upon him as you have is nothing short of death.”

“I wasn’t…”

“Your desire overtakes you and reveals your intention,” she woman challenged daring him to deny the lust that surrounded him when Scott was in the water feeding into the desire he’d held onto in Scott’s absence, “It will be your undoing if you choose to continue to covet my daughter’s king.”

“Her king?” Logan repeated with a small scowl, “I thought he was her warrior.”

“Indeed he is, but soon after we are victorious in eradicating the old gods, she shall take him as her new king,” the woman cautioned brushing her fingers over the curve of Logan’s shoulder, “During battle to keep Athena’s continued blessing, he must remain chaste until victory is achieved. Until then he shall forgo the pleasures of the flesh until that fateful day when he will prove to be a fruitful king and a fertile husband to my daughter. Together they shall sire a great many heirs that will change this world and the others.”

“Right,” Logan mouthed wondering if Scott was aware of the ‘goddess’ and her intentions for him.

“He must remain pure to ensure our victory,” she informed him with a slow, seething expression upon her face, “He must deny himself pleasures of the flesh to continue to prove himself worthy.”

“That seems a bit extreme given what is taking place downstairs,” Logan frowned thinking about the orgy that he’d unknowingly walked into upon entering the temple, “The goddess offers up pleasures to her soldiers, but to her greatest warrior, she denies him a taste of the victory he’s granted the others…”

“Desire can do many things to a mortal in this world,” her words were still cautionary as they carried over him, “It can bring the ruination of man or offer him a new place of power in the world should he prove to use his desire to achieve nirvana.”

“And what of a goddess? Do they all feel so strongly as to abstain from pleasures to simply win a war against the old gods?” Logan challenged swallowing down his words when the lust in her features was apparent. She made no mistake about her intentions when her eyes swept over his body, taking in the hard lines of his solid frame before her. The tip of her tongue teased over her bottom lip, revealing perhaps a more mortal hunger than she cared to admit with him before her, “What of your desire?”

“A mere mortal is quite incapable of satisfying my desire,” the words rolled off her tongue in a dare—issuing Logan a darker challenge when he smiled at her wondering if he’d found his way in.

“I’m not a mere mortal and fulfilling your desires would be my pleasure,” Logan reached out to raise her hand to his lips once again hoping that it would open the door to discovering where Scott truly was in this strange world.

“In that case, I wish to see what the gods have blessed you with,” she answered readily, her pupils dilating with want and revealing the hunger behind her sultry voice. With a brush of her fingers over the side of her face, she pushed her hair back over her shoulder, arching her back ever so slightly to reveal the heightened sense of arousal that carried over her. It was smooth and intoxicating, unlike anything Logan had ever experienced when her sheer gown revealed the swell in her breasts. She licked her lips again, beckoning him to accommodate her request when Logan shrugged his shoulders.

“And if I share my gifts with you, what shall I get in return?” he questioned weighing out his options when she eyed him like her next meal.

“You shall have my blessing to roam free in the gardens unsupervised. As my guest anything you desire is yours,” she promised licking her lips again when Logan found himself reaching up to the fastening on his toga. Without thought or modesty he pushed open the clasp sending it down to the ground at his feet. With a careful sidestep he moved out of the fabric, leaving on the golden sandals he was wearing, but nothing else.

“My you have indeed been blessed,” her jaw dropped, and her eyes widened with surprise when she tilted her head down to look at the root of his masculinity.

Putting himself on display Logan placed his hands on his hips, proudly offering her a view of the part of himself that most had been impressed by in his time on Earth. It had been something that had led him to a great many erotic encounters and ironically had given him more headaches than he could imagine when lust proved deadly in his life. However, with a goddess eyeing him expectantly, practically panting at what he could offer her should he be motivated to do so, Logan found himself met with an overwhelming sense of power in their exchange.

“I showed you mine. How about you show me yours?” Logan wiggled his brow suggestively. He prepared to say something more, to think of something witty to wrap her around his finger, but before he could follow through the sound of footsteps crunching on the grass carried over the moment taking her by surprise.

“Mother,” another feminine voice called out to Logan’s companion causing her to take pause. Immediately panic swept over her, causing her to worriedly take a step away from Logan.

“You must hide,” the goddess warned, “You are not to be in these gardens without permission granted and if my daughter sees you…”

“Will she not be appreciative of my gifts from the gods?” Logan questioned in a sultry tone watching as the woman grew more flustered in the moment.

“You must hide,” the goddess continued worriedly, “She must not find you in here. For the both of us, you must stay hidden until I can return to finish what we started in assessing your gifts.”

“But…” Logan feigned disappointment when she turned her back to him.

“Enjoy the spoils of my daughter’s haven Loganitus,” the woman offered to him with a rushed breath, “As I will find you again when I am finished with my daughter’s conversation.”

“I’ll be right here eagerly awaiting your return my goddess,” Logan waved watching as the goddess rushed out of the clearing and over to the daughter that Logan had yet to encounter. For a moment he thought of his promise to Hades—to the mission at hand and contemplated if this could be the moment where he ended it all. If he could singlehandedly take down the false goddess, then his host would be appeased, and his mission would be successful…except for the fact that he hadn’t made any progress with Scott.

“Scott,” Logan mouthed turning around to the water again and thinking about what he’d witnessed in his voyeurism. Closing his eyes he could almost see Scott again in the water before him, could feel the swift, skilled movements of his body, moving systematically with each muscle until he’d finally emerged from the water into the gardens damp and looking like every fantasy Logan had ever imagined of him.

“I have to find him,” Logan decided drawing in a nervous breath as he looked to the water again.

Swimming had never been easy for him—it had never been something he’d looked forward to given that his adamantium laced body had often felt like a weight dragging him down, but knowing that he had to find Scott, he realized he had no choice, but to follow his instincts. With a long, slow breath he stepped into the water, surprised to discover how warm it was when he moved deeper into it. Within seconds he was up to his shoulders in the water, contemplating his journey to the steps Scott had emerged from on the other side. For a moment fear overtook him, driving him away from desire and into the place where the often-repressed voice of caution spoke up in protest. It was guiding him away from the challenge, attempting to cajole him to find another way to seek out his lover. It was a momentary battle, however, as soon the thirst for his missing lover sent him into the water, pushing through the waves. He struggled to keep himself above water—to stay focused until that fateful moment where he was emerging at a place not far from where Scott himself had been standing naked and bathed in sunlight.

“I’m almost there,” he mouthed to himself hoping to encourage his feet to keep moving forward. Halfway through the water, his sandals had fallen off, undoubtedly becoming a sacrifice to the crystal water beyond where he stood. Now completely naked and focused on the task at hand, he moved up out of the water towards the grand marble staircase rising to the heavens, not quite knowing what was on the other side of the mysterious garden. However, in thinking about the direction that Scott had taken, Logan knew he had to keep moving forward.

Shortly after Logan was rewarded in his determination when the garden transformed into another temple before him. There were grand columns and marble flooring, looking every bit as remarkable as the steps had been, but this was different. This place felt far more sacred—less like a stairway to the heavens. Instead it served as a tribute to the ‘goddess’ as Logan noticed the oversized statue of the woman before him. In the sculpture she was every bit as beautiful as the woman he’d encountered, carrying a sheaf of grain in hand. Her hair was pinned up atop of her head and her eyes were looking down upon the lone visitor to the temple.

“Scott,” Logan mouthed his name watching as the man he’d dreamt about was on his knees before the statue with his hands clasped in front of him. He was dressed in a sheer, white toga that draped over his bronzed skin. His feet were bare, but what was most noticeable was the strip of pink, silken cloth that was tied around his eyes.

Moving forward, Logan fought against his instincts to run to him. Instead he took a few steps forward watching as Scott seemed caught up in his prayer, undoubtedly paying tribute to the woman who’d claimed him as her trophy warrior. Her mother had explicitly told Logan that Scott was off limits, but the challenge of having the forbidden was too delicious to ignore even with the threat of imminent death. The thought caused Logan’s chest to tighten, but it didn’t change his mind about what he must do to reclaim what was his. For a moment he could feel Hades’ words in his head, reminding him of the task at hand, but with Scott on his knees praying to a goddess that Logan was certain on the right day Scott would refuse to believe in, Logan found himself armed with a new mission.

Taking a few more steps, Logan was surprised by how cool the marble was beneath his toes. Despite the warmth of sunlight filtering into the temple, there was something unfamiliar, yet unmistakable in the air surrounding them. It caused goosebumps to form on his skin when Scott stiffened before him.

“What do you want?” Scott questioned in a hollow, neutral tone that caused Logan to take pause. Scott’s voice was devoid of the sentiment that Logan had caught in their last few encounters. Instead he was weary and distanced as he remained on his knees caught up in prayer to the statue before him.

“Pardon the intrusion, but I needed to see you,” Logan answered preparing himself for whatever changes had happened to Scott in their time apart.

“You aren’t allowed in here,” Scott’s voice was neutral, devoid of all emotion when he remained frozen on his knees before Logan.

“Do you always do as you’re told?” Logan questioned with a hint of flirting in his tone.

“Of course,” Scott hesitated before taking in an uneasy breath, “but clearly you do not adhere to the guidelines your great goddess has set for you.”

“First of all, I don’t bow down to any goddess. Second, I’m not really one to sit back and be a slave to what I’m supposed to do,” Logan confessed taking a slow predatory step forward watching as Scott remained frozen in place almost too afraid to move when Logan’s presence had shaken him. Taking advantage of that fact, Logan continued to follow his path to Scott wishing like hell that they could return to that fateful morning at the school back before the world came between them. In thinking about how much he’d lost, however, Logan realized that hesitation was not an option, “Life is too short to play by the rules when what you want is right in front of you yours for the taking.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand. There’s nothing to be taken here. This is a place for worship,” Scott’s voice was shaky, less certain than it had been in his earlier questioning. Now as Scott remained on his knees, body stiff and unyielding, Logan found himself weighing out his options in experiencing an opening between them.

“I beg to differ with you on that one,” Logan argued feeling a smirk teasing over the corner of his lips, “In a place like this I would imagine a great many others have come to ask of the gods to bestow upon them their great gifts.”

“That’s not what I’m…” Scott stopped himself when it was clear Logan’s presence had interrupted the deep thoughts that had surrounded him, “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Neither should you, yet here we are,” Logan shrugged his shoulders knowing full well that Scott wouldn’t be able to see him, yet with the strong scent of Scott surrounding him, Logan couldn’t help, but find himself fueled by a primitive hunger, “Who are we to throw away a perfectly good opportunity between us now that the so called gods have offered it up to us in such a delicious fashion?”

“I don’t…I don’t understand,” Scott answered lowering his hands to his sides. His back grew rigid, his body filled with a new tension when Logan realized that perhaps this situation would take a little bit more effort on his part in reaching out to his lover once again.

“Perhaps not now, but soon you will,” Logan promised remembering Hades’ warning about Scott’s mental state in this new world they’d been pulled into. It should have served as a warning, as a potential roadblock, but instead with Scott clad in a sheer, almost see thru toga Logan found it to be more of a challenge that rocked him to the core. It fueled his hunger when the cool marble beneath his toes offered up a deep contrast to the heat burning inside of him.

“You were the one who was watching me down by the water, weren’t you?” Scott questioned stiffly not bothering to make a move from his position on the floor before Logan.

“I was,” Logan nodded realizing that Scott couldn’t have seen him at the time he was in the water, yet in his sensing Logan’s nearness it gave Logan hope for the strength of their connection even after the two months they’d spent apart, “How did you know I was there?”

“There was a disruption in the energy around me,” Scott answered quietly, “When I was in the water, I could sense the wind had shifted and with it…”

“You could feel my eyes upon you,” Logan finished feeling his heart racing as Scott involuntarily swallowed down causing his Adam’s apple to bounce nervously in his throat.

“I knew that I wasn’t alone,” Scott mouthed quietly, “I was warned that soon someone would disrupt my solitude.”

“Who told you that I would be there?” Logan couldn’t help, but question with curiosity weighing in upon him.

“The oracle warned of a stranger who was set on tipping the balance in this war,” Scott answered earnestly, “They spoke of a violent foe who would rise from the waters bringing darkness upon us all with his presence.”

“And you feel that I’m this bringer of darkness?” Logan questioned with a frown.

“Aren’t you?” Scott questioned as if he’d already made his own observation in Logan’s arrival.

“What do you think?” Logan challenged.

“You aren’t him,” Scott sighed lowering his head just enough to cause Logan to focus on the arch of Scott’s shoulders, to the dip between his neck where Logan had often spent long hours marking Scott in their passion play, “You are something far different than what the oracle warned me of.”

“What do you think I am?” Logan couldn’t help but ask watching as Scott trembled before him.

“A test,” Scott’s voice was shaken by the thoughts that carried over him. Still, he made no move to get up or leave the temple when Logan bridged the distance between them.

“What kind of test?” Logan practically growled wondering what lies had been fed to Scott in his absence.

“One I fear I may fail should you refuse to leave this temple,” Scott half pleaded refusing to leave his position on the floor, yet his words were filled with uncertainty. There was a fear that surrounded him—a deep, resonating uncertainty that put Logan on edge.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Logan vowed wishing like hell that he could reach out to Scott and pull him into his arms. However, he stood silent seeing his lover caught in a surprising moment of turmoil, “Deep down we both know why I’m here, don’t we?”

“Yes,” Scott answered revealing nothing in his voice when Logan resumed in his stroll across the temple towards where Scott had been praying earlier.

“Good,” Logan mouthed. Shaking his head and stepping a few feet forward, Logan found himself wondering just what had happened to Scott after his disappearance. It seemed so long ago, yet the weight of the loss Logan experienced in Scott’s departure still felt so real. With Scott on his knees in the temple praying to a goddess that Hades demanded be destroyed, Logan couldn’t help, but question how all of this had come into play. However, in knowing what was on the line for the future, he continued to approach Scott with a newfound determination, “I couldn’t take my eyes off you when I saw you in the water. It was as if in those moments on the shoreline watching you before me my life finally began to make sense. Seeing you as you are without fear or uncertainty, unafraid to bask in the beauty of the skin you were born in… You were remarkable.”

“You weren’t meant to see that. I assumed that I was alone,” Scott’s voice was abrupt, sharp in ways that Logan hadn’t experienced before when their conversation began. He was distancing himself, Logan realized as it seemed the closer that he got to Scott, the further Scott pulled away from him, “That part of the temple garden is off limits to voyeurs and…”

“Nothing is off limits where you and I are concerned,” Logan announced brazenly moving in closer to the one man he’d coveted for so many years, “You should know by now that I’m not a man of hesitation. When I see something I want, I take it no questions asked without regret.”

“Whatever your intentions are, you must leave,” Scott half pleaded with him with a hard swallow, “I know how this will end between us should you not heed my advice. No good will come out of you being here. You must go.”

“No,” Logan answered firmly, “Not happening.”

“You shouldn’t be here,” Scott finally seemed to tense up before him. It was as if something clicked inside of him when he began to shuffle up off his knees preparing to exit before Logan could truly bridge the distance between them.

“Neither should you,” Logan announced moving behind Scott in a predatory stance, “but here we are…together and I have no intention of allowing this moment to pass us by.”

“Please…I do not wish to fail this test. The oracle has cautioned me against this,” Scott’s voice came out in a nervous hiss. His body shivered once again, this time revealing far more uneasiness than Logan had anticipated in his approach.

“This is far from failing,” Logan assured him when the thumping of his heart guided him to finally end the torturous separation that they’d endured for the past two months, “Only I can truly set you free.”

“How?” Scott questioned trembling harder upon completion of Logan’s words.

“By freeing you to face your deepest, darkest desire,” Logan vowed licking his lips when a hard, rush of desire swept over him igniting something inside of him that he’d been without for the two agonizing months they’d been apart.

Brazenly Logan placed his left hand on Scott’s shoulder, coaxing Scott back onto his knees again when a flash of memory carried over him. Momentarily Logan was taken back to a late-night Danger Room training session when Scott had submitted himself completely to Logan. It had been hot and intense, revealing Scott’s primitive need to be dominated and submissive to desire in ways that being in control on the battlefield hadn’t allowed. At the time they had been stepping into unfamiliar territory with one another, but Scott had reveled in the fantasy giving Logan room to tap into his inner beast in ways that neither one of them would own up to on the battlefield. After it was over, it became no more than a hidden memory that neither one them talked about after the night they shared. Hell, if Emma hadn’t mentioned it to Logan in passing months later after she’d prodded into Scott’s memories of that night, he would’ve believed that he’d imagined it along with the other dark fantasies he’d often carried with him. However, with Scott on his knees reminiscent of the neediness that he’d experienced that night in the Danger Room, Logan found himself caught up in the idea of pleasure.

“Who are you?” Scott questioned when Logan’s fingers squeezed deeper kneading into Scott’s muscled shoulder. With the movement, Scott tensed up, seemingly worried that the intrusion on his prayers would prove dangerous, but as Logan’s right hand touched the top of Scott’s head, gently caressing the wavy dark strands, Scott seemed to respond to the touch beneath him.

“I’m exactly who you need right now,” Logan promised leaning forward to whisper behind Scott’s ear. The warmth of his breath cascaded over the side of Scott’s neck causing Scott to involuntarily shudder. Scott’s lips parted, his breathing growing more labored when Logan’s fingers stretched out beyond Scott’s bare shoulder to squeeze at his chest.

“Please don’t,” Scott ordered when Logan’s fingers fanned out gently massaging his smooth skin. Almost immediately goosebumps formed over Scott’s flesh causing him to expel a sharp breath. With a twist of Logan’s fingers spreading out over Scott’s flesh, Logan watched as Scott swallowed down hard, practically whimpering when Logan pinched at Scott’s nipple igniting a fire beneath the surface that this world had stolen from Scott.

“Don’t what?” Logan slurred leaning forward to press a kiss upon Scott’s shoulder. Readily Scott shook beneath the touch, caught up in muscle memory despite his mind’s confusion. He expelled a labored breath, his body practically trembling when Logan’s lips skimmed over the surface of Scott’s smooth skin.

“Don’t make me fail this test,” Scott practically moaned when Logan pinched at Scott’s nipple again feeling it grow hard against Logan’s urgings.

“This is for your own good,” Logan slurred tangling his powerful fingers through the back of Scott’s thick, dark hair. He used his grip to wrench Scott’s head back and coax Scott to comply to his command. When it seemed that Scott had silently submitted to Logan’s request, Logan leaned forward whispering heatedly over the side of Scott’s neck, “Good boy.”

“You can’t…” Scott whispered heatedly, his body shaking again when Logan’s teeth sank into the delicious curve of his neck, biting down just enough to claim ownership on the man before him. The action was unexpected as Scott cried out, arching forward into Logan’s palm that was now rubbing over Scott’s chest roughly groping at his smooth skin.

“I can and I will,” Logan growled wrenching at the dark edges of Scott’s hair. He roughly pulled Scott’s head back further to make room for himself. Pushing forward Logan traced a hot, wet line up over the side of Scott’s neck with his tongue, taking his time to trace over every secret hot spot until finally his lips and teeth surrounded Scott’s earlobe in a sharp bite. The action caused Scott to moan and shake, wrapped up in desire without question as Logan’s fingers stretched out beneath Scott’s toga to squeeze at his hard chest and muscled abdomen.

“This…this is forbidden,” Scott stammered half-heartedly fighting to free himself from the trance that Logan’s presence had put him in. He swallowed down hard, struggling to pull himself up off the ground when the sensation he was experiencing seemed to snap him out of the daze he’d been in. He was nervous—almost afraid in ways that Logan hadn’t ever witnessed before when Logan pushed Scott back onto his knees, pinning him down against the marble flooring, “Please. If the goddess discovers you’ve followed me in here, then…”

“Then maybe she’ll learn a thing or two about desire,” Logan taunted pushing his right-hand underneath Scott’s chin to wrench it back. With a gasp, Scott’s lips parted revealing the perfect, soft pink warmth that Logan had explored time and time again back at the school when they’d been caught up in a reluctant alliance turned lustful.

“You shouldn’t…” Scott opened his mouth in protest, attempting to warn Logan of the consequences of any misdoings in their surroundings, but before he could finish with his attempt, Logan’s tongue pushed its way into Scott’s mouth, kissing him with the same fire and intensity that he’d carried with him in their previous encounters. With a whimper Scott seemed to melt into the kiss, arching up from his position on the floor to meet Logan halfway. Scott’s lips parted further, his arm snaking up and around Logan’s neck to draw him in nearer—to taste the warmth and forbidden desire swirling inside of Logan. It was an all-consuming heat, wrapped up in an illicit need fueled by the sensation pouring into the temple until Scott whimpered and pulled away from the kiss. He was panting and breathless with a pale crimson color rising over his cheeks, “You must leave now. If the goddess had any idea that I even considered indulging in the pleasures of the flesh with a stranger such as yourself when I’m supposed to be…”

“Fuck her,” Logan mouthed circling around Scott and eyeing him like a predator ready to pounce upon their unsuspecting prey. Desire spiked over Logan’s body, causing the beast from within to emerge when Scott was practically trembling on the floor, no longer held back by the chains that bound him back home. His stoic persona had been broken down revealing a far more vulnerable man before Logan. It was shocking, yet sexy in its own way when Logan reached out to touch the side of Scott’s face. Scott shivered upon impact leaning into Logan’s touch. Without a word Scott’s lips parted to invite Logan inside when Logan’s thumb skimmed over his plump, bottom lip to push into his exotic warmth. Leaning forward Logan whispered over Scott’s shoulder, “or better yet how about I fuck you?”

“How dare you,” Scott blurted out withdrawing from the hold Logan had on him. He pulled himself from the moment and seemed almost offended by Logan’s blatant proposal—as if he was going to walk away, but when Logan’s thumb pushed roughly over Scott’s bottom lip again, Logan was pleasantly rewarded with Scott sucking upon the digit. Readily Scott’s lips surrounded the tip of Logan’s thumb sucking down upon it and causing other, more prominent parts of Logan to respond to the teasing.

“You were always good at that Slim especially when you stopped giving a damn about the expectations that the world had upon you,” Logan noted sliding his thumb into Scott’s mouth further. He relished the warmth of Scott’s damp tongue beneath the pad of his thumb, pressing and curling in an attempt to capture Logan’s full attention, “but I’ve got to tell you that after all this time I’d much rather you give another part of me more attention right now.”

“What you’re suggesting is madness,” Scott panted allowing Logan’s thumb to fall from his lips.

“Is it?” Logan questioned pushing his damp thumb over Scott’s bottom lip again, taking his time to moisten Scott’s lips before Logan took a bold step forward, “Are you afraid of what might happen should we cross this line?”

“You’ll die if the goddess discovers you with me,” Scott lips parted further in anticipation as his words vibrated over Logan’s thumb. He tilted his head up, seeking Logan’s positioning from behind his blindfold, “Should she encounter us together considering such a forbidden notion…”

“I’ll take my chances,” Logan decided reaching down to stroke his already hardened body. With each movement of his fist pumping over his flesh, Logan found that he’d captured Scott’s attention. Without the benefit of his eyesight, Scott was caught up in listening closely hanging on Logan’s every sound as Scott’s chest rose and fell in anticipation. His mind may have been lost, but his body was filled with recall—giving in to muscle memory when Logan reached out to seize his thick, dark hair in a firm, commanding motion. Without a word, Logan curled his fingers tightly in Scott’s hair, wrenching his head back and causing Scott to gasp with urgency. When his lips parted, Logan stepped forward not bothering to ask permission when he guided his thick tip to Scott’s mouth. He could feel the vibration of Scott’s whimper over his manhood, making him even harder when he slowly dragged his tip over Scott’s damp bottom lip, taking his time to tease Scott with what was ahead of him.

“We can’t,” Scott began again finally offering up a futile protest when his lips parted readily, opening Logan up to further temptation. The tip of his tongue flicked over the head of Logan’s arousal teasing Logan in his protests when Logan found himself mesmerized by the man before him. With a firm grip on his cock, Logan brushed the head over Scott’s bottom lip again, watching as Scott readily lapped at the tip, savoring the taste of Logan upon his lips.

“Yes, we can,” Logan decided gripping the back of Scott’s head harder than he’d anticipated. With a rough pull and a forward, jerking movement, he pulled Scott’s mouth over him, roughly guiding the length of his cock into Scott’s mouth, readily urging Scott to take him in—to seize the moment of their reunion without question. At first Scott seemed reluctant caught up in a moment of conscience, but after a couple of seconds when Logan’s grip on Scott’s hair eased up, Scott was eagerly bobbing forward, licking and teasing at Logan’s length, eager to taste and tantalize him. With each movement he made, Scott was fueled with the same urgency he’d often offered up in their encounters.

“That’s it,” Logan gently pet Scott’s head watching as Scott’s worried posture shifted. With a few adjustments, Scott rose on his knees, reaching out to hold Logan’s hips in a half-hearted attempt to try to steady Logan’s movements. When his efforts proved futile, Scott’s fingers found their way to Logan’s length, using his palm as a sheath while his tongue teased over Logan’s tip, doting on the sensitive flesh in ways Logan had almost forgotten he’d needed. With both palms in Scott’s hair, Logan found himself thrusting harder, bucking into Scott’s mouth repeatedly, eager to get himself off after months of being without his lover’s touch. Sure, he’d touched himself remembering Scott, but it paled in comparison to Scott’s damp lips and moist tongue sliding over his thick, hard cock, hot and urgent, damp and warm ready to offer the world to Logan. Tilting his head up Logan smirked at the statue of the goddess before him. For a moment he thought about giving her the middle finger just to show her how wrong she was to claim Scott for herself, but he refrained instead yanking on Scott’s hair harder than before in forcing Scott’s movements over him, “You remember how much you like this, don’t you?”

The vibration of Scott’s tongue over his shaft was all the answer Logan needed when he picked up the pace. He continued rocking his hips forward, slamming himself into Scott’s mouth over and over again until that final moment when desire reigned supreme sending his release in hot, wild waves past Scott’s lips and deep into his throat, hard and violent until finally Logan slumped forward gently caressing the back of Scott’s damp hair. Scott was shaking and spent in his actions, lips parting with a heaving breath as Logan eased out of his mouth, simply allowing Scott the opportunity to take in what happened between them. When it seemed that Scott was still caught up in the surprise of it all, Logan pet the top of his head one last time before he finally released Scott instead dropping down to the floor beside Scott.

“Does that remind you of anything Slim?” Logan questioned sliding in closer to Scott. However, Scott seemed caught up in the moment, unable to think clearly when Logan pressed his palm over the center of Scott’s chest. Again, Scott remained still on his knees, stiff and unyielding in his movement. Leaning in over him, Logan whispered over Scott’s lips, “Nothing?”

“I…” Scott stammered struggling to find the words when Logan nudged Scott to slide back across the marble flooring beneath him. After a few seconds, Scott did as he was instructed to do, falling to his bottom on the temple floor.

“Good boy,” Logan mouthed approvingly. He reached for Scott’s leg taking his time to trace the smooth, muscled flesh. Saying nothing, Logan curled his fingers behind Scott’s knee, taking note of how pliable Scott was after Logan had commanded his full attention. With a smirk, he parted Scott’s thighs watching as Scott sat before him in silent compliance, no longer a celibate tool for the goddess who’d claimed him as her own. Instead, his skin was bristling with desire, his body practically begging for release when Logan noticed the obvious arousal beneath Scott’s toga, “It looks like I’m not the only one looking to get off today.”

“Don’t,” Scott half pleaded reaching out to seize Logan’s wrist before Logan could touch him.

“Why not?” Logan questioned curling his index finger over the center of Scott’s palm, watching as the simple movement caused Scott to shudder with anticipation.

“I will be fine. This will pass,” Scott kept his face forward refusing to give in to instinct when Logan watched his lover caught up in turmoil.

“It shouldn’t have to,” Logan frowned, “You deserve to feel good Slim.”

“She will kill you if she knows that I pleasured you in such a forbidden fashion,” Scott’s voice held panic when Logan raised Scott’s wrist to his lips.

“I’ll take my chances in enduring her wrath if it means I can be with you,” Logan slurred pressing a tender kiss over Scott’s pulse point, “You don’t realize it yet, but you’re mine. She can’t have you.”

“She’s a goddess,” Scott’s words came out in a sharp hiss, “She takes what she pleases.”

“As do I,” Logan promised leaning forward to brush his lips over Scott’s knuckles. The warmth of Scott’s skin flooded over his senses taking Logan from their strange surroundings to the familiarity of their time together back at the school with one another.

“You’re a fool to think that you can deceive her,” Scott’s face was flushed. His plump lips were parted and curving downward in the beginnings of the frown, but the air that surrounded him was filled with desire and longing.

“I don’t give a damn what she thinks about any of this,” Logan admitted brazenly leaning in closer to Scott. With a suggestive wiggle of his brow, he allowed his eyes to cast over Scott, taking in the familiar lines of his body, “I’m not afraid of your goddess.”

“Then you are an even greater fool than I’d imagined,” Scott attempted to brush off Logan’s touch.

“I’m a fool for you in more ways than you can imagine,” Logan assured him with a predatory grin, “but that’s never stopped us before.”

“It will when she discovers what has happened in this temple. It is reason enough to put you to death as it is, but if you think about touching me, then you will surely meet a slow, agonizing demise. She will surely discover our duplicity and…”

“Then it will make things a lot easier for us in the long run,” Logan argued leaning in closer to Scott, unable to quell the need burning inside of him. Sliding his fingers down over Scott’s thigh, Logan began to trace his rough fingertips over Scott’s flawless skin, “To ask me to refrain from touching you, is like telling me that I can no longer breathe in the air around us.”

“You mustn’t…,” Scott explained breathlessly. His words were attempting to protest again, but as Logan reached for the hem of Scott’s toga, pushing the cloth up to reveal the familiar arousal he’d worshiped in the past, Logan found himself pleasantly rewarded by Scott’s response. Tipping his head back, Scott moaned sliding his arms back behind him in a feeble attempt at distancing them from one another, but it was no use. With each retreating movement Scott made, Logan pushed forward twice as hard, guiding his fingers up over Scott’s inner thigh until finally he wrapped one palm around Scott’s hardened length.

“Please,” Scott begged of him, unable to refrain from crying out when Logan’s touch surrounded him.

With skilled determination, Logan’s firm grip moved up and down over Scott’s length, creating a warm sheath. Within seconds, Scott was leaning back further, attempting to pull away from the sensation that Logan was creating from within. However, not one to be denied, Logan leaned forward wrapping his arm around Scott’s spine to keep him in position. When Scott was caged beside him, Logan dipped in closer doing his best to stay in the moment surrounded by the taunting reminders of the false goddess around them.

“That’s it,” Logan encouraged Scott further, coaxing him to enjoy the moment—to stay engaged in temptation with Logan hovering over him.

Again, and again, Logan’s fist slid readily over Scott’s body, watching his face contort with desire and urgency. For a few brief seconds Scott tried to pull away, to slide across the marble, but it only served to further Logan’s agenda when the toga’s fabric continued to twist up over Scott’s hips revealing more of him to Logan. Smiling inwardly, Logan pushed his knee against Scott’s thigh, using his strength to keep Scott’s legs parted as Scott wiggled on the floor before him.

“Stop fighting it,” Logan encouraged when Scott brought one hand up to push it over Logan’s. He squeezed at Logan’s wrist, halfheartedly attempting to refuse Logan’s touch, but soon Scott was guiding Logan’s hand, coaxing him to quicken the pace, to work to get him off when Logan’s grin expanded.

“Good boy,” Logan encouraged Scott further. He watched as Scott’s head fell back again, his soft moans transforming to a low, primal roar when he pushed up off the floor desperate to assist Logan in his movements. However, when Logan used his elbow to force Scott’s thigh back onto the ground, keeping him in place on the marble, he was met by the sound of protest.

“Please…” Scott begged of Logan, not quite sure what he was asking for in the temple.

“Please what?” Logan questioned ceasing all movement. He could see that the gesture left Scott even more desperate for contact between them.

“You’re going to be the death of us both,” Scott reached out through the air between them. He attempted to squeeze at Logan’s arm, to coax Logan to touch him again, but Logan refused the contact opting instead to reposition Scott’s hand on the floor behind him again. Once he was satisfied in Scott’s positioning, Logan leaned forward to skim his lips over Scott’s in a sultry whisper.

**(Artwork by[CrowSizna](https://crow-sizna.tumblr.com/))**

“I want to see you lose control,” Logan commanded bringing his lips to Scott’s in a wild, urgent kiss. As soon as their lips touched, Scott cried out, his body shaking when their tongues collided, hot and wild, desperate for something that they couldn’t find in their words. Before Logan knew it, Scott was bouncing his hips up off the ground again, shifting them recklessly. The urgency behind his movement caused Logan’s palm to cease movement, to stop giving Scott what he wanted until Scott had finally settled down, bypassing his own need for control in order to turn himself over to Logan completely.

“Please…” Scott whispered, his voice raw and torn when Logan’s fingers resumed in their intimate touch.

“I want to feel your cock vibrate against my touch,” Logan slurred leaning forward to bite hard over Scott’s shoulder. The sensation caused Scott to cry out, his sounds growing with his urgency until Logan leaned forward stealing them in a kiss that left him wanting more. Before he could claim it, however, Scott lost all control shuddering and shaking in Logan’s hand when it became clear that Scott had moved past the point of no return.

“That’s it,” Logan encouraged him on when Scott’s hard release spilled over Logan’s fingers, chest and abdomen unabashedly covering Logan in the evidence of his lover’s desire. Still, it was a welcome return to what Logan had lost when he reached out to guide Scott up off the floor and into his arms completely. His mouth crashed over Scott’s kissing him as if everything in the moment depended upon it. In some ways, Logan supposed that it had, when Scott sank against him, weightless and spent by his release after what Logan suspected was two months of celibacy.

Now, sitting in silence, Logan held Scott against his chest, cradling Scott’s body over his as the warmth of Scott over him filled the void that had been missing from his life from the moment Scott left the world behind. Pressing a kiss over the top of Scott’s head, Logan gently massaged Scott’s back, keeping Scott over him in a tight embrace. The sound of Scott’s labored breaths was music to Logan’s ears as he continued to pet and massage Scott, simply longing to get caught up in the warmth of Scott home in his arms again.

“We will both burn for this,” Scott spoke up guiltily after the weight of their actions carried over him. He attempted to rush out of Logan’s lap, but Logan refused to indulge him instead squeezing his hand over Scott’s inner thigh.

“No, we won’t Slim,” Logan promised leaning forward to press a soft kiss over Scott’s temple, “You might not remember how important all of this is to us, but this is our only true freedom.”

“Nothing about our lives are free. In this world everything comes at a price,” Scott tensed up upon Logan’s declaration, “I owe my mind, body and soul to the goddess and…”

“You’re mine,” Logan snarled coaxing Scott’s chin up towards his. Reaching out Logan cupped Scott’s face in his hand, holding Scott close to him. Looking at Scott’s lips, Logan couldn’t help, but lean forward kissing Scott with a new determination in his touch. As if on instinct Scott reciprocated the kiss, arching into Logan and opening himself to the warmth of Logan’s touch. Finally, breathless Logan pressed his forehead to Scott’s and let out a long sigh as their lips parted once again, “You’ve always belonged to me.”

“I…I don’t even know you,” Scott dismissed Logan’s words. For a moment confusion seemed to carry over him, surrounding him with the strange atmosphere that filled the temple around them until finally Scott’s face twisted with outrage, “You’re a brute that intruded upon my prayers and…”

“No,” Logan argued with him when Scott attempted to pull away from him, “I’m the man who came here to rescue you. I’m the man that…”

“Rescue me?” Scott seemed confused by his words, “Why would I need rescuing when…?”

“You’re lost Scott, but I can promise you that…”

“Scott?” he repeated with confusion carrying over him, “Who is this Scott you speak of?”

“You are,” Logan replied wondering just how far Scott’s memory loss had taken him. Thinking back to the encounter with Hades, Logan found himself contemplating the toll this strange place had taken upon Scott, “You’re Scott Summers leader of the X-Men and I’m…”

“You’re mistaken. I’m not…” Scott stammered struggling to comprehend what Logan was saying to him.

“Yes,” Logan curled his finger underneath Scott’s chin coaxing Scott in closer to him, “you are and that hasn’t changed. This shit show seems to have made you forget who you are, but I can promise you that I’m the key to your freedom. Once I get you out of this place, then you will see that…”

“The goddess is the key to our survival,” Scott argued with him when something seemed to shift inside of him, taking Scott from the moment of desire to a frenzy at the woman who was holding him as her hostage, “and as long as I live by her rules, then…”

“Listen to yourself. Do you even realize what you’re saying?” Logan questioned preparing to work to recover Scott’s memory when there was a loud, popping noise from beyond where they were with one another, “Somehow you’ve been brainwashed to buy into this hype, but it’s not real. None of this is the reality we both know and come from, but together we can find a way out of this and…”

“I don’t know what the meaning of this is, but you can’t be here,” Scott blurted out in a panic when the noise outside of the temple grew louder bringing with them the sound of clouds rumbling from above. The thunder beyond the temple walls caused the floor beneath them to shake taking Logan by surprise. Taking advantage of the moment, Scott freed himself from Logan’s arms, refusing to indulge Logan’s fantasy a moment longer, “You must leave this place and never look back. This is no longer safe for you. Not after today.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you,” Logan replied springing up to his feet. He reached out to touch the side of Scott’s face, coaxing Scott to tilt his head towards Logan, “I came here for you—only you and there’s no way in hell that I’m leaving without you. Do you understand me?”

“What I know is that the moment the goddess returns and finds you here in the temple…” Scott’s words trailed off when his face drained of all color. He was afraid—far more terrified than Logan had ever witnessed in their time back home or out in battle. His strength had been replaced by frozen panic, causing him to tremble when the weight of their actions seemed to come crashing down upon him, “When she finds me in the temple like this…like…”

“She can’t control you,” Logan argued wishing like hell that Scott hadn’t fallen victim to the world around them, “You have to believe me when I tell you that…”

“I made a vow to be devoted to only her. I pledged my loyalty in order to gain the gods’ favor and…” Scott spoke up frantically.

“You can’t pledge anything to any of them not when your heart belongs to me,” Logan cupped Scott’s face in his hands. Stepping forward he arched up on his toes, coaxing Scott to lean down into their kiss. It wasn’t well thought out, but as their lips collided, Logan could feel the strength of their connection. It was alive and stronger than ever when the sparks of desire burned beneath the surface reminding Logan of the conversation that they’d never experienced with one another back home. With each teasing taste of his lover’s lips, Logan found himself falling harder, wishing like hell that his rescue mission had ended with them at home wrapped up in one another.

“My heart is of no consequence to my loyalty,” Scott struggled to get the words out when he reluctantly tore himself away from the kiss, “I’ve pledged my life to the goddess and…”

“You gave yourself to me—only me,” Logan argued reaching out to wrap his arm around Scott’s slender waist, “Back home you were confused for so very long, but we reached a point where we both talked about…”

“What?” Scott questioned when the clouds overhead began to grow darker changing the mood of the temple into something eerie and nefarious. He arched his head up sensing the change in the temple without the luxury of his sight.

“You and me together,” Logan replied feeling the walls of the temple rumbling beside them.

“Together,” Scott repeated when for a brief fleeting moment something seemed to register behind his handsome features. As soon as it revealed itself, it soon faded away leaving him to confusion about the situation they’d found themselves in with one another, “You shouldn’t be here. If you had any idea how powerful our goddess is—if you knew the things she could do to you for daring to defy her—to the both of us for defaming her temple in such a fashion after I pledged my loyalty to her and Athena…”

“To hell with your pledge,” Logan argued touching the side of Scott’s face, “You don’t belong here. You aren’t an ancient warrior. You are Scott Summers leader of the X-Men and I’m here to take you home.”

“Home?” Scott repeated preparing to say something more when a bird sounded out beyond the walls of the temple bringing with it a sense of impending doom. The sound caused Scott to pull away from Logan with worry sweeping over him, “You must leave. You need to flee this place and never look back. If the goddess discovers you in here with me, then she will destroy you. She will take you from this world and punish us for our disobedience…”

“Then run away with me,” Logan seized Scott’s hand in his. With a small yank on Scott’s arm, Logan pulled Scott in fully against his chest, “Follow me to the ends of the earth and let me show you who you truly are. Let me help you find your freedom again.”

“You don’t understand. I’m…” Scott attempted to speak out again, to say something to reason with the unreasonable man before him, but when Logan touched the side of his face Scott let out a low sigh of defeat, “You must leave for now. You can’t let her find you in here with me during my prayers. If she believes that you’ve tarnished me in any way…”

“If it is your virtue she’s concerned about, you can rest assured that you lost it a long time ago Slim and not because of me,” Logan paused unable to repress from revealing a predatory smirk, “Although I didn’t help.”

“Even so, you must leave,” Scott urged him on once again, “Please leave this place before…”

“Not without you.”

“Right now, I’m expected in another place. If I don’t arrive as anticipated, then things will be disastrous for us,” Scott explained with a tiny tremble in his voice, “I must follow through on my commitment to finish this war and…”

“Fine, then I’ll wait,” Logan folded his arms in front of his chest stubbornly. He tapped his foot on the marble flooring when it dawned in on him that Scott couldn’t see him from behind the blindfold, “Slim, you have to trust me when I tell you that…”

“Tonight,” Scott blurted out with a muted whisper upon his lips, “If you are truly who you claim to be, then you can meet me at the waterfall after dark. Once I honor my obligation, we can continue this discussion.”

“No,” Logan argued with him. Unable to contain himself Logan squeezed at Scott’s bicep pulling Scott in closer to him, “I’m not walking away from you not after what happened before.”

“You don’t have a choice Logan. Listen to me when I tell you that…,” Scott’s words came out as a direct, abrupt order when something registered behind his features. A stunned expression carried over his face when recognition seemed to snap inside of him.

“That’s right,” Logan encouraged him further, “You are starting to remember…”

“No,” Scott shook his head firmly when it was clear that his subconscious was struggling with the inner workings of the illusion that his mind had created, “you’re wrong. I’m here because…”

“Because someone brought you here against your wishes.”

“No,” Scott shook his head firmly, “I was brought here by the gods to help lead the revolution for our goddess and…”

“No. A man named Atlas kidnapped you two months ago after you went on a mission,” Logan informed him with a newfound seriousness in his tone, “You were in Las Vegas when you disappeared and…”

“No, I…I would’ve…” Scott struggled with the words that Logan was saying to him.

“You and your brother Alex were in Vegas trying to find a young mutant that Chuck…Charles Xavier asked you to find,” Logan continued to try to fill in the blanks, “You were on your own after you found the boy, but soon after you both disappeared and…”

“That isn’t possible,” Scott answered behind gritted teeth, “I know who I am and…”

“Atlas kidnapped you. He beckoned me here as well after I began my search for you. He is pulling the strings on this. He put us into this world where everything is an illusion. We are all players in his dark game,” Logan began to explain when the rumble of thunder rocked the walls of the temple around them.

“No, if that were true then…” Scott stammered swallowing down a sharp breath.

“Think about it Slim. This world around us is unnatural, but somehow you managed to beckon me here. You could sense my presence in the air because I’m not like everything else that surrounds us. I’m real…I’m the one true thing that this world has to offer and now that I found you, you must feel it too,” Logan continued to explain when the sound of footsteps grew nearer indicating that their reunion together would be brought to an abrupt ending far before their time had with one another began.

“You can’t be in here. She can’t find you,” Scott spoke up desperately as his mind fought against the information that Logan had offered him.

“I don’t care if she finds me Scott. She is part of this sick illusion that Atlas has created. He’s somehow manipulated this world and these characters to the point where it feels like a twisted reality, but it can’t be real. None of this is anything more than an Elysium illusion created by a madman who…”

“I know that you might believe that Logan, but I’m telling you that you don’t want to be here for her arrival,” Scott said his name again this time with more of a sense of urgency behind his words. While normally Logan would be thrilled at the idea of Scott starting to remember him, there was something darker happening behind his lover’s beautiful features, “This is not where you want to be when she arrives. If she discovers you…”  
  
“She won’t if we just get out of this shit show. If you just trust me and let me…”

“I need to stay here,” Scott informed him with a scowl, “I need for you to go and…”

“You and I need to get the hell out of here now and…” Logan’s voice rose with agitation when Scott’s words grew more frantic. The world around them seemed to shake and shudder with the rising fear that surrounded Scott, but it did nothing to deter Logan from his mission. Come hell or high water he was taking Scott home again no matter who he had to burn through in order to make it happen.

“Damn it we’re out of time,” Scott cursed when a loud popping noise caused him to jump back.

“For what?” Logan questioned watching Scott pull away from him.

“Don’t argue with me. Hide behind the statue,” Scott ordered with a deep, resonating scowl. He stood up taller, clumsily readjusting his toga before straightening up his posture, “If you refuse to leave the temple, then at least make yourself scarce long enough for me to direct her out of here before she discovers you are here. If I can coax her into walking away long enough for you to make a safe retreat…”

“Not without you,” Logan shook his head stubbornly, “I’m not afraid of any of these illusions that Atlas has thrown at us. Whatever this place I’m not going to let it get to me when…”

“This place is surrounded by death and terror,” Scott’s voice warned solemnly, “and if you don’t start taking this seriously, then you don’t stand a chance of making it out of here alive. You have to trust me when I tell you…”

“I do trust you Slim, but…we have to get out of here. The longer this goes on, the more difficult I imagine it is going to be for us to find a way out of this. Atlas is clearly pulling the strings in making us pawns in whatever game he’s playing, but…” Logan attempted to appeal to Scott again.

“This isn’t about Atlas,” Scott half pleaded with him, “This is about me saving your life and keeping you safe. If you value me at all, then please stop fighting me on this.”

“I’m not leaving you not after it took so long to find you. Look, I know that this might not make sense to you right now, but you and I need to…” Logan began urgently when lightning splintered the sky from above where they stood in the center of the temple with one another.

“If what you speak is truth and you were truly beckoned here to find me, then you have to trust me when I tell you that you need to hide now,” Scott explained in a tight, agitated hiss. With a firm press of his palm into Logan’s shoulder, he shoved Logan across the temple being anything, but gentle in his movements. Logan staggered backwards reluctantly following his squad leader’s request until finally he heard Scott returning to the place he’d been kneeling at moments before Logan’s arrival.

“My queen,” Scott’s muffled voice rose through the warmth that surrounded Logan, leaving him to wonder just what was waiting for him on the other side with the ‘false goddess’ that Hades had warned him about.

“My warrior,” a smooth, exotic voice filled the temple, surrounding Logan with a deep, resonating sense of ease. Despite his reservations about what was happening, there was something about the woman’s voice that brought about a calming sensation in her presence. Leaning back against the statue Logan found himself wondering just what the tyrannical ruler that had taken Scott hostage would have to say to him in his new surroundings should Logan make his presence known, “Had I known that your prayers would lead you to a day in my temple, then I would’ve sought you out sooner.”

“My prayers are vital to our victory my goddess,” Scott’s voice faltered momentarily before he seemed to recover, “I’ve pledged my loyalty to Athena and…”

“Athena may have blessed us with a great victory in our war against the old gods, but it is I that have been truly blessed to have you at my side,” her voice was smooth and melodic, like the most harmonious music to ever fill Logan’s ears, but as he thought of his competition staking her claim on Scott just around the other side of the statue, Logan found himself overtaken by jealousy. Even if this was a game Atlas created to keep them at bay, it was something that Logan wasn’t going to take lightly in having someone demand ownership of the man he loved.

“As I have been blessed to serve you,” Scott’s muffled voice answered dutifully as Logan imagined Scott on his knees again pledging his loyalty to the woman that Hades had sent Logan to destroy.

Closing his eyes Logan thought about the dark god that he’d met in his travels. While he still questioned the nature of the world and its occupants, there was no denying how real the things had felt when he’d entered that dark encounter with Hades. There was something about his demands and dark warnings that left Logan wondering just what role the god of the underworld played in the plan Atlas had spread out before him. Atlas had spoken of an affinity for games and using Logan as a pawn, but as to what those games truly were, Logan had found himself uncertain. At first it had been easy to dismiss the man’s madness in a lab, but now that Logan stood in an ancient temple feeling the weight of the dreamlike world that had surrounded him, he wondered just what kind of powers the gods and goddesses of this world could truly hold.

“You’re troubled my love,” the goddess noted with disappointment in her voice. Her words caused Logan to reopen his eyes and remember where he was when his jealousy coiled over his body burning deep into his blood, “What vexes you on this glorious day?”

“I’m filled with concerns about our next battle,” Scott’s voice resonated the same pensive weight it had often carried out on the battlefield at Logan’s side, “Our victory today was great, but with each new battle they only serve to enrage the old gods further bringing upon us their wrath and ire.”

“The old gods are no match for our powers,” she reminded him with an overwhelming confidence, “Together we can rule this world and the others as king and queen, taking our place at the throne of Mount Olympus with one another.”

“My goddess, I am humbled by your request and confidence in me, but rest assured that I am no king,” Scott answered with an earnestness in his voice, “I am far from being a god and to be given such power wouldn’t be fitting considering that…”

“You are my king,” her words softened revealing a sentimentality that caused Logan to snarl. He could hear a shuffling sound from behind the statue causing him to question what the goddess was doing with his lover. Unable to contain his jealousy, he tipped his head out around the side of the statue only to discover her lovingly stroking the side of Scott’s face. Her left hand was upon his shoulder, coaxing him to move in closer to her in an intimate embrace, “Your place will forever be at my side once this war is over.”

“I’m a mere mortal,” Scott dismissed her words only to have her coax him to lean into her touch.

“You have been blessed by Athena sent from Olympus to aid me in my quest to destroy Hades and the others who question our position in this world,” she reminded him in an impassioned tone, “With Zeus on retreat hiding from our attacks it is only a matter of time before we destroy Hades and with him vanquished we begin our new era as rulers of this world and…”

“Yeah, um about that,” Logan blurted out from behind the statue. Without a second thought, he circled around the temple making his presences known when the woman who’d held Scott captive seemed surprised by his presence, “I don’t think it’s going to be as easy as you think it is. I’ve seen Hades and he’s not exactly a chill kind of guy that…”

“What is the meaning of this?” the goddess questioned with a gasp releasing Scott and turning to face Logan with a scowl, “Who are you and why are you in my temple?”

“There’s actually a very interesting story that I’d love to share with you right about now, but as it is I feel like we’re a little short on time and…” Logan paused dramatically lowering his arms down to his sides. His eyes were focused on the beautiful golden-haired woman before him realizing that she was every bit as striking as her mother was, yet with her fingers still over Scott’s bare arm, she’d sparked a rage inside of Logan.

“Logan,” Scott hissed his name in warning. Turning on his heel, Scott spun around towards the sound of Logan’s voice as a deep scowl carried over his kiss swelled lips. His face was flushed, but it was far different than it had been earlier when Logan had caused him to crumble to pieces at Logan’s touch. Now it was the deep, crimson shade of rage that surrounded him in the past when Logan disobeyed his orders.

“What is the meaning of this?” the goddess questioned as Logan watched her face darken with rage. She released Scott redirecting her attention to a fully naked Logan now that Logan had blatantly made his presence known.

“I’m here to help you win this war,” Logan stated plainly. He kept his arms down at his sides knowing full well that Scott would be livid with him, but now was about playing the part and proving himself a worthwhile piece of the game Atlas had created. Scott had been gone for far too long and Logan wasn’t about to sit back and wait for the tide to change around him with the gods at war with one another.

“Is that so?” the goddess questioned arching a skeptical brow at Logan. She took a bold step towards him, doing her best to intimidate him in her presence, but it was no match for the jealousy that consumed Logan in imagining the woman keeping Scott as her personal pet for the last two months of his life. Her cerulean eyes narrowed down at Logan, watching him with great observation and heavy skepticism when Scott reached out to wrap his fingers around her bicep.

“My goddess. I can explain,” Scott’s voice faltered momentarily, revealing the fear that swept over him in having Logan out them in their dalliance in the temple, but before Scott could say anything further the goddess at his side brushed off his touch dismissing him as if he no longer held her interest.

“He can speak for himself,” she snarled curling her fingers into fists as she sized Logan up. Giving him a long, thorough once over, Logan knew full well what his presence signaled to the woman before him, but goddess or not, he was bound and determined to tear her to pieces for keeping Scott as her property during their time apart. With a snarl, he matched her movement puffing his chest out as he slowly allowed his claws to unsheathe revealing a taste of his power to her.

“What is the meaning of this?” she questioned when Scott staggered in towards her, attempting to diffuse the situation before her.

“I can explain. He’s…” Scott began with an uneasy huff, attempting to clear his head when another set of footsteps entered the temple.

“He’s my guest,” the woman that Logan had been in the garden with earlier announced making her way into the temple. She carried with her a regal presence and a strategic smirk when she nodded towards her daughter, “I invited him into the gardens as my companion for the festivities.”

“But mother…” the goddess frowned turning to address the woman Logan had spent his time with earlier.

“I apologize for my oversight in not sharing his arrival with you earlier, but…” Logan’s companion explained bridging the distance between herself and her daughter, “I’m afraid our council meeting had left little time for explanation and…”

“Athena sent me,” Logan blurted out breaking through the conversation with mother and daughter, “She told me of your war on Hades and insisted that you needed my assistance to be victorious.”

“And why would she do such a thing?” the goddess questioned turning around to face Logan once again, “What could a tiny, hairy little man like yourself bring to the war when…?”

“I’m no mere mortal,” Logan puffed his chest out further, offering up a sneer when he raised his hands up to reveal his adamantium claws to her. He flashed them up into the air, revealing their strength to her less than impressed eyes.

She watched for a long moment of silence before offering up a tiny, pinched laugh, “Why would Athena send me a little beast such as yourself when she’s already given me a Cyclops?”

“Cyclops,” Logan replied thinking about the traditional mythical creature that Scott had been named after in this world, “I see.”

“You offer me nothing in this war,” the goddess wrinkled her nose at him seemingly unimpressed by Logan’s claws, “A mere beast can do nothing to lead me to victory. You are of no use to me in this when…”

“Have your warrior strike me dead if you truly believe that,” Logan challenged making a bold step towards her, “If you think of me as such a disappointment to your cause, then why waste time debating it? Have your Cyclops strike me dead here in this temple if need be.”

“With pleasure,” the goddess finally revealed a twisted, darkened smirk, “Cyclops…”

“Your grace,” Scott frowned turning towards the sound of her voice, “I don’t really think that…”

“You heard the little man,” she waved her hand around in the air before snapping her fingers, “I see no point in arguing with this insignificant foul-mouthed creature when there is a war to be won.”

“My goddess please,” Scott begged of her, his voice desperate and almost frightened when he reached for her wrist once again, “nothing good will come out of this hasty decision.”

“This beast stands before me unashamed of his bruteness in my temple, defaming my safe haven with his presence and…” the goddess argued turning her attention to Scott while her mother eyed Logan with a newfound curiosity.

“I think you’d be making a mistake in launching an attack on our new arrival,” her mother announced offering up her opinion on the situation, “If Athena has sent us this creature, then who are we to argue his presence in your temple when…”

“He is of no use to us,” the goddess reached out to touch the side of Scott’s face. Her long, slender fingers caressed his cheekbone. She smiled at him lovingly before tracing the underside of the silk that covered his eyes, “I see no reason to drag on the inevitable death he is owed.”

“Go for it,” Logan stretched his arms out, taunting her in his boldness, “Let him strike me dead here in the temple if that is what you feel you must do.”

“With pleasure,” she replied with a dark, twisted smirk. With a flick of her wrist, she unknotted the silk around Scott’s eyes causing it to fall at his feet. With a wide grin, she stepped back making room for Scott’s positioning before Logan, “Darling please remove this creature from our temple.”

Scott stood frozen, caught up in the weight of the moment. There was something that flashed over his features taking him from worry to conflict. His jaw was flexed with tension, his mind clearly caught up in the same strategic reasoning that Logan had learned early on defined him as the leader of the X-Men. Even with his identity stricken from him, he was attempting to find an out to their situation—to come up with a reasonable conclusion to the dare that Logan had issued the goddess as his side.

“Darling, what are you waiting for? We have a great many things ahead of us today for…” the goddess began when her mother spoke up again to appeal to her.

“You should not make a decision in haste my dear. To do so will reveal itself as a weakness in your character. To strike this creature down now without consideration or trial would be disastrous to our cause and…” her mother spoke up in Logan’s defense.

“He is of no consequence to me,” the goddess shook her head in refusal. Again, she reached for Scott squeezing at his shoulder to coax his actions out of him, “Darling if you would finish this…”

“No,” Scott answered with a blatant defiance in his tone. He stood up taller, rolling his shoulders back and surprising the goddess at his side.

“No?” she repeated with wide eyes and a slack jaw, “What do you mean no?”

“I cannot,” Scott shook his head readily, “I’m afraid that I’m unable to honor your request. I will not strike down this man before me.”

“It wasn’t a request my love. It was a direct order,” she frowned moving in closer to Scott.

“One that I refuse to oblige,” Scott answered stubbornly. He raised his chin up, revealing the defiance in his gesture now that the goddess at his side redirected her rage upon him.

“You do not have the luxury of refusing me,” she snarled reaching out to squeeze hard at his arm. He stood silent beside her, allowing her nails to sink into his muscled flesh breaking through the skin, yet he dared not react. He gritted his teeth, but refused to flinch when she drove her nails deeper into his skin causing his crimson colored blood to pool out of the wounds she’d given him. With each passing second the tension in the temple mounted. Each drip of Scott’s blood trickled over his arm until the first splashing sound of it hitting the floor caused Logan to snarl, “You know what it means to defy me.”

“I understand the weight of my actions,” Scott answered softening his tone. He turned towards her, tipping his head down to appeal to her despite her grip on him, “but if Athena sent him to us to fight this war, then I refuse to go against her request. She has been good to us thus far in ensuring our victories, so to defy her would mean that…”

“This man means nothing to us my love,” she replied releasing his arm. Her blood-soaked fingers reached out to caress Scott’s cheek smearing his dark colored blood over the side of his otherwise flawless skin with the movement, “He is no more than a test to prepare us for the war at hand. He’s simple a steppingstone until…”

“Fuck it,” Logan decided rushing towards them with a snarl. He stretched his claws out, charging at Scott with a harsh roar. Springing up in the air, Logan leapt forward with his claws up in the air, coming rapidly down towards Scott without hesitation. For a moment Scott seemed confused when the goddess released his face, caught off guard in Logan’s actions, but without a second thought, Scott stepped between Logan and the goddess going against his earlier response and opening his eyes to send a precise crimson blast into the center of Logan’s chest. The force of it caused Logan to go crashing across the temple, crumbling one of the columns with it as he landed face down on the ground.

“My warrior,” she rubbed her palms together gleefully, caught up in the amusement of watching Scott’s powers tear Logan to pieces before her. With an approving nod, she reached out to embrace Scott, reaching for his bloodied arm and pulling him in against her, “My love.”

“Is that all you’ve got?” Logan questioned when the goddess gasped releasing Scott in horror. With a shakiness in his stride, Logan staggered up from the floor, making his way across the floor with gnarled flesh ripped open on his bones. Half of his face had been ripped off in Scott’s blast, but his eyes were focused on the man he loved standing beside the goddess that Logan was sent to destroy.

“What the…?” the goddess gasped when her mother moved in between her and Logan.

“Darling…” the goddess’s mother spoke up when Logan’s flesh began to heal revealing his rapidly regenerating flesh before her, “He’s…”

“Neither beast nor mortal,” Logan answered readily when his eyes fixed on Scott. Although he hadn’t said a word, Logan could hear the rapid beating of Scott’s heart resuming in a far normal place, indicating the relief that washed over him in knowing that Logan was alright. Without the benefit of his eyes, there were undoubtedly a great many questions left unanswered inside of him, but now with the goddess looking at Logan with astonishment, he realized he had a new way in to the nightmare that Atlas had brought them to in this new world, “I’m every bit as immortal as you are my goddess.”

“So, you’re saying that you’re…” the goddess gasped in realization when her eyes fell upon Logan as if she’d seen him for the first time since he’d made his presence known in her temple.

“A god,” her mother finished with an approving smirk teasing at the corners of her mouth, “Loganitus is…”

“Logan,” Logan clarified with a tiny shudder thinking about what he’d called himself in his haste, “Just call me Logan.”

“Logan,” the woman replied with a small nod positioning herself between Logan and her daughter. With a bold stance, she turned to her daughter and held her hand out to prevent her daughter from retaliating, “and he is my guest here. He is my companion and I will not allow you to destroy him.”

“But he’s…” the goddess was at a loss when Logan’s healing factor had transformed him to the man that he’d been moments earlier before he’d forced Scott’s hand at acting against him.

“Here to help you win this war against Hades,” Logan finished puffing out his chest before his gaze lingered over to Scott once again. His face was still stained by his own blood, looking like he’d stepped out of a warzone with his eyes pinched tightly together to hold back his optic blasts. Despite his positioning beside the goddess, Scott seemed withdrawn, caught up in internalizing what had taken place when Logan realized what he’d done in forcing Scott’s response without running the idea by him first, “Athena sent me here to prepare your warrior for our next battle against the underworld.”

“Then who are we to argue against Athena’s wishes?” the woman who’d accompanied Logan earlier turned to her daughter with a delighted grin carrying over her features, “With a god at our side we are bound to end this war victorious.”

“So be it,” the goddess snarled reaching for Scott’s bloodied arm. This time instead of digging her fingers into his wound, she covered them simply pressing her fingers over his skin and dragging him in closer to her, “Tonight we celebrate and tomorrow we begin your training with this…god Athena has sent upon us.”

“But…” Scott began preparing to say something more before bowing his head down and finally nodding in understanding, “Of course my goddess.”

“Thank you for being so understanding my love,” she smiled reaching out to coax him in closer to her. With a smile, she leaned forward pressing a soft kiss over his bloodied lips. When Logan watched her fingers twine through Scott’s hair attempting to coax him into responding, he found himself fighting off a shudder. Reluctantly Scott responded to the kiss offering her a light peck before pulling away and turning his head down to shield the shame that undoubtedly weighed upon him. Without acknowledging it, the goddess turned to Logan, addressing him in a sharp warning tone, “You may be immortal, but if you fail me in this war…”

“That won’t be happening. When it comes to war, I will not be stopped until I am victorious and my enemies lay in pieces bathed in blood,” Logan promised with an overblown sense of confidence as he found himself remembering his promise to Hades. Now as the goddess reached for Scott’s arm guiding him towards the temple’s entrance as if he was her pet, Logan found himself questioning whether he would tear her head off in her retreat. However, as her mother reached for Logan’s arm, coaxing him to notice her once again, Logan found himself forced to behave under a considerable amount of restraint.

“I suppose a celebration is in order for the both of us now that your true intentions are revealed. It would seem that Athena is full of welcome surprises on this glorious eve of our victory,” the woman flirted bringing her hand over the center of Logan’s bare chest to rub her fingers over his dark chest hair, “Perhaps we should return to our prior conversation in the gardens.”

“Actually I…” Logan began again watching as the goddess led a compliant Scott to the temple’s entrance. For a moment Scott seemed to hesitate, tilting his head back to reveal his tired features. His blood was drying on his cheekbone and his mouth seemed positioned to speak up, yet he remained silent listening to the exchange between Logan and the woman pawing at Logan’s chest. For a moment Logan felt a spike of jealousy surround him in the room, overwhelming his senses, but ultimately Scott turned away. He lowered his head dutifully following the woman who’d held him captive to her bidding when she led him out of the temple away from Logan.

“Forget about them,” the woman at his side coaxed him on further.

“Easier said than done,” Logan couldn’t help, but frown wondering what price Scott would have to pay in his earlier defiance, “What will come of him now that she has taken him away?”

“There are always lessons to be learned in defiance,” the woman at his side confessed behind a pinched, predatory grin, “Even with her sentiment for him, he is in no position to defy her.”

“He was only trying to stop her from making a grave mistake,” Logan insisted finding his concerns for Scott lingering after his departure, “He knew that I was here to assist in this war and…”

“My daughter feels a very deep affection for him,” the woman promised stroking his chest further, “He will dutifully accept his punishment and be ready for you in the morning. You can rest assured that she will not break him for his defiance…”

“But…”

“No buts,” she shook her head firmly, “His fate is his alone, but yours…well, it would seem that the gods are in your favor tonight.”

“I suppose,” Logan’s gaze lingered to the path Scott had taken out of the temple. Something inside of him gnawed at his insides causing him to question what the enraged goddess had in store for the man he loved. However, in knowing that there was nothing he could do now, he forced himself to face his new companion, “I will gladly take his punishment for him.”

“No need,” she replied dismissively, “He will be fine after she has dealt with his insubordination. You, on the other hand, are mine for the taking.”

“Is that right?” Logan questioned looking up at her once again.

She nodded enthusiastically, “Dionysus has blessed us with a great many adventures for the night ahead of us. Who are we to deny the gifts he has bestowed upon us?”

“When you put it that way,” Logan looked over to his companion again when thoughts of Scott with the goddess filled his heart with an overwhelming sense of rage and jealousy. His concerns mounted in thinking about what danger Scott had knowingly walked into after he’d left the temple. Still, in knowing he had to play his part to make it through the time in this horrible place Atlas had put him in, Logan forced himself to fake a smile and focus on the woman at his side, “who am I to argue with such a worthy tribute?”

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

  
  


The frigid night air provided a deep contrast to the day of celebration that Logan had been surrounded by after his confrontation with the goddess in the temple. After she’d walked away with Scott leaving in her departure an air of impending doom, Logan found himself in the company of her mother. He’d been worried about Scott’s fate, caught up in the troublesome idea of Scott being punished for his defiance, but Logan had been forced to hide his fears. Instead he’d spent the remainder of the evening exploring the great garden with his companion until they’d found their way down to the celebration with the other soldiers in the heat of the wild orgy in honor of the goddess and her victory. The sight in itself was wildly erotic like a scene captured from one of the cheesy adult films that Logan had often indulged in, but no amount of lust and sexual energy could take Logan’s thoughts from the idea of Scott and his goddess alone with one another away from the party.

With a twist on the bed beneath him, Logan found himself back at the uninhibited party watching the soldiers give in to temptation—crossing lines that most had not meant to be crossed. In their lust filled haze, they’d lost sight of the monster that they were fighting for. Instead of seeing the truth, they were mere animals subservient to their master as they came together in a wild display of madness. With each grunt and groan of the bodies around him, Logan found his mind drifting back to Scott and wondering what the penance was he had to pay for defying the goddess to protect him. The thought made him uneasy when he twisted on the sheet unable to ignore the nagging feeling that Scott was in danger with that madwoman at his side.

Beyond that fear though Logan had found himself caught up in another agonizing thought after witnessing the lust that the goddess had carried for Scott. Even in her rage she’d been tempted to control him—to claim him as hers and the very thought drove Logan to madness. Yes, Logan had been informed that Scott was to remain celibate until the goddess ultimately sacrificed him to her master, but something in her tone caused him to question her ability to hold true to that vow. The thought caused Logan’s blood to boil as he lay in his room stretched out across the bed that had been provided to him by his companion. At first, she’d offered him a place in her bed, stretched out beside her to revel in the pleasures that only a god could appreciate, but he’d graciously declined reminding her of the importance of their victory over Hades. Now, however, in thinking about his reason for entering this strange place, he found himself on edge wishing like hell he could’ve just taken Scott and ran far from the nightmare they were in.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Scott’s voice surrounded his thoughts causing Logan to close his eyes and listen to the sound of the ocean in the distance. The sound resonated in his mind feeling more real than anything that had surrounded him in this place, yet as Logan thought about the goddess and her possessiveness towards Scott, he couldn’t help, but wonder what her true plans for Logan’s lover were.

“I told you to remain hidden,” Scott’s voice chastised as Logan reopened his eyes to discover Scott standing in the doorway of his room looking far more agitated than he’d been earlier in the temple when Logan had forced Scott to take action against him, “That stunt you pulled in the temple was reckless at best and…”

“Scott,” Logan gasped sitting upright and allowing the thin sheet that covered him to fall from his naked torso. With a breath caught in the back of his throat, Logan watched helplessly as Scott crossed the threshold into his room making his way over to Logan’s bed without the benefit of his sight. His eyes were still secured behind the silken sash leaving him in a vulnerable positioning in the darkened room. Then again, Logan knew it was second nature to Scott as Scott had learned early on to work his way around a room without his sight intact. Now as Scott stood beside Logan’s bed with a scowl on his face, Logan found himself met with a newfound sense of anticipation and hope.

“You could’ve destroyed the both of us earlier,” Scott’s voice held a deep sense of anger, but there was something deeper beneath the surface that Logan held onto. It was that faint flicker of concern that carried over him that caused Logan to sit up straighter in his bed, “Do you have any idea what kind of jeopardy you put us in with your impulsiveness? For you to act out like that forcing my hand when…”

“I did what I had to do Slim,” Logan argued preparing for a battle when Scott stood beside his bed looking more conflicted than Logan could’ve remembered before that moment in time. There was something about the way the moonlight shined across his face—about the way that that sound of the crashing waves over the shore swept into the room bringing with it the scent of salt water and a low breeze that caused Scott’s dark hair to shift around his features, “but I wasn’t looking to make things more difficult for you.”

“Yeah, well we both kind of screwed that one, didn’t we?” Scott replied in a pinched, uneasy tone, “I told you she would be angry.”

“I wasn’t expecting her anger to turn onto you for my actions,” Logan’s voice was apologetic. Instinctively he looked to the fresh marks on Scott’s arm remembering the way that the goddess had dug her nails into him without restraint. Tipping his head up, he realized that Scott’s face was now clean, but Logan still remembered Scott’s blood smeared across his cheek in her rage, “The last thing I wanted was for you to get hurt by any of this.”

“You’re going to be the death of me. I’m certain of that now,” Scott sighed crossing the room. Without any warning, he moved around the side of the bed leaning in closer to Logan.

The tension in the air between them was palpable given what they’d endured earlier, but whatever hold the goddess seemed to have over Scott in her torment left him in that moment. Standing over Logan, he inched in closer and he reached out through the darkness to grasp a thick chunk of Logan’s hair, coaxing Logan up toward him in a wild, explicit kiss meant solely with one purpose in mind.

Without hesitation Logan responded to the kiss, reaching out to drag Scott over him onto the bed fully into his arms now that they were away from the others who were still partying in another part of the temple. Their energy still hung in the air, haunting Logan’s senses when the scent of sex and lust surrounded him, filling the primitive part of him with something far more urgent than he’d anticipated when he’d found himself alone in bed stewing over Scott’s situation. Now with Scott over him, claiming his mouth with a fire and intensity unmatched by another Logan had experienced in his life, he found that he’d been caught up in something that two months ago they’d promised one another that they would hash out. With each nip and teasing bite, their tongues collided—their bodies sliding against one another, caught up in a wildfire too hot to ignore. Reaching out in a desperate, urgent tug, Logan collected the bottom of the toga that Scott was wearing. He wrenched it up over Scott’s hips, pulling it up over his body as their lips parted. He had it up over Scott’s abdomen preparing to remove it completely when Scott’s palm pressed over the center of Logan’s chest. Sitting upright, Scott held Logan down beneath him, refusing to allow Logan the moment to disrobe him. Instead Scott placed his free hand over Logan’s wrenching Logan’s fingers off his toga. He paused momentarily tilting his head down towards Logan before he resumed in what Logan had started in dragging the toga up over his body. Within a matter of moments, Scott held it over his head, pushing it up over his arms and tossing it onto the floor before his thighs wrapped completely around Logan’s abdomen straddling him.

“Scott, I’m so sorry about before. For what I did in the temple to cause you any kind of pain that…” Logan breathed his name preparing to say something to defend his actions when he felt the press of Scott’s index finger over his lips to silence him.

“No words,” Scott pleaded desperately. There was a raw, pained expression on his face, but there was no mistaking the scent of desire that rolled off of his skin, swirling into the air around them and driving Logan further into his own urgency with his beast threatening to break loose in his lust, “No one must know that I’m here with you.”

Against Scott’s touch, Logan nodded opting to press a tender kiss over the pad of Scott’s index finger. Logan felt the warmth of his lover over him, caught up in so many things that they’d refused to say to one another in the past. It seemed that their world had finally come together again when the crisp scent of the saltwater and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore set the mood for their reunion. Tilting his head up Logan watched as Scott leaned forward seeking Logan’s lips out through the darkness. With palms shifting to the sides of Logan’s face, Logan felt the warmth of Scott over him, dipping down to kiss him with hunger behind his movements. His lips coaxed Logan to surrender, tongue sliding between Logan’s parted lips until somehow Scott’s hands were twisting on Logan’s hair commanding his submission. With a quick shift of his hips, Logan pushed up off the bed, sending Scott down beneath him when the heat of desire coiled over him. Lust filled the air surrounding them taking Logan from jealousy to longing when Scott’s arms surrounded him.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Scott whispered scratching his nails down over Logan’s back, pushing Logan past his limit when Scott’s legs surrounded him.

“Slim?” Logan half questioned pulling back when Scott reached out to touch the side of Logan’s face through the darkness.

“It’s been too long,” Scott mouthed arching up to kiss Logan. With each urgent press and flick of his tongue, he commanded Logan’s attention, coaxing Logan against him, over him as their desire magnified growing in intensity until Logan was on his back again watching as the moonlight bathed Scott’s skin. Smooth, bronzed and naked over him, Scott took Logan’s breath away. Everything about him was remarkable—every bit as perfect as Logan had remembered when Scott reached out to the side of the bed pulling a tiny golden jar off the sheet beneath him. Twisting the lid, Scott’s chest rose and fell, caught up in anticipation when Logan reached out to collect the jar from Scott’s trembling hand.

“Allow me,” Logan spoke up in a dark, suggestive tone doing his best to stay in control. With newfound determination he coaxed Scott down onto the bed beneath him. He stopped moving watching as Scott arched back, parting his thighs in anticipation of Logan’s touch. Smiling Logan dipped his large fingers into the jar feeling the warmth of the slick substance beneath him. For a moment he found himself wanting to ask about it, but as Scott pulled his legs up over his chest with his own arms gripping his thighs and inviting Logan to return to the place he’d longed to rediscover for the last few months, Logan found his curiosity leaving him in favor of touching his lover. With a tender brush of his finger over Scott’s opening Logan found himself rewarded by the low rumble of a moan that carried over Scott’s lips. With another twist of his finger he felt Scott arch up towards him, tilting his hips at an angle to allow Logan access to his innermost pleasure center.

“Logan,” Scott practically purred his name. His grip on his thighs intensified as Logan watched Scott dig his own fingers into his flesh. He let out a pinched hiss embracing the warmth of Logan’s touch over him, inside of him as Logan worked to open Scott up to pleasure. With each teasing twist of Logan’s fingers inside of him, Scott whimpered, arching his head back. His mouth parted, lips curling in a soft o shape, but it wasn’t nearly as exciting as the sound of Logan’s name falling from Scott’s lips. With eyes covered by the silken sash, Scott was closed off in the moment caught up in his own battle with restraint. However, thinking about the time they’d lost Logan hesitated in his movements. Instead Logan found himself reaching for the silk around Scott’s eyes, unknotting it and removing it from his beautiful features.

“Logan?” Scott questioned raising his head up when confusion carried over him.

“Trust me,” Logan whispered climbing over Scott to press a kiss over his plump, parted lips. With a teasing nip and a playful lick, Logan kissed Scott tenderly, doing his best to keep Scott in the moment when he reached for Scott’s wrist. Wordlessly he raised Scott’s arm up over his head, guiding his hand to the center of the antique headboard. A few seconds later the other hand followed and soon after Logan was using the sash that had been tied around Scott’s eyes to restrain him, bound to the bed and held captive to Logan’s desire. With a tiny whimper Scott shifted beneath him, spreading his legs out across the bed when Logan’s thumb skimmed over Scott’s bottom lip. In the moonlight Logan found himself in awe of his lover watching as Scott pressed a tender kiss over his rough skin. Smiling down at Scott, Logan leaned forward and deposited a kiss over Scott’s forehead. A few seconds later he charted a path over Scott’s cheekbones, down over the tip of his nose claiming his lips before teasing over his collar bone. His lips trailed over Scott’s breastbone to trace the lines of his chest and abdomen before Logan settled in between Scott’s thighs.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Logan confessed placing a tender kiss over Scott’s hip.

“I’ve missed you too,” Scott arched up against Logan’s kiss, silently pleading for desire to overrule logic when Logan’s thick, powerful hands surrounded Scott, guiding him up off the bed and into Logan’s grasp.

With a firm grip on Scott’s bottom, Logan deposited kisses over Scott’s soft skin, creating a trail from beneath his naval to the base of Scott’s arousal watching as Scott grew harder against his urgings. With a flick of his tongue and the weight of his lips surrounding Scott’s tip, Logan listened to the sound of the hunger growing deep inside of Scott. With each flick of Logan’s tongue, Scott grew reckless bucking up against Logan. He bit down on his lower lip struggling to stifle his desire when Logan’s fingers stretched out over Scott’s bottom, pulling him up higher with each teasing taste he took of Scott’s arousal. With his tongue tracing over every ridge and contour of Scott’s length, Logan focused on the warmth of Scott beneath him—on the way Scott seemed to tremble under Logan’s influence. Soon, Logan found himself cupping and squeezing at Scott’s bottom, holding and caressing him as Scott whimpered against Logan’s control. His body twitched against Logan’s tongue, so very close yet still so far when Logan reached for the tiny golden jar again. With a wicked smirk, he reluctantly pulled back guiding Scott out of his mouth before he sat up on his knees near the edge of the bed.

“I’ve waited so long for you,” Logan divulged reaching out to push Scott’s thighs up over his chest once again. With a curl of his fingers into the small jar, Logan scooped out more of the salve from within doing his best to apply it to Scott’s opening before dipping inside. Almost immediately Scott’s body welcomed him home, allowing Logan the opportunity to work him to a frenzy in the slow, teasing stretch that Logan pressed upon him. Soon with Logan’s fingers thrusting inside of him and Logan’s left-hand pumping over Scott’s arousal, Logan was rewarded with Scott sliding up and then shifting backward reveling in Logan’s touch.

“Logan,” Scott panted arching his head back, biting down harder on his lip to the point Logan was convinced Scott had broken the skin, yet he held back fighting against his natural instinct to cry out with Logan touching and teasing him, “please.”

“Do you remember what we were supposed to talk about before you left that day?” Logan questioned curving his finger just enough to cause Scott to whimper and twist, caught up in the hot, wild frenzy that Logan had brought into his life.

Scott nodded drawing in a labored breath when he fought against his desire, attempting to keep his head about him with Logan’s fingers inside of him coaxing him to a sweet surrender, “Yes.”

“And?” Logan questioned drawing back just enough to watch Scott bathed in moonlight. His skin glistening with desire as Logan found himself caught up in longing wishing like hell that he could capture the moment between them from here on out.

“Ask me after we do this,” Scott practically pleaded, his body twisting and writhing, unable to focus beyond desire with Logan over him, taunting and teasing him to a frenzy.

“What if I want an answer now?” Logan taunted ceasing all movement over Scott, “What then?”

“If you promise not to make me wait any longer, I’ll give you anything you want,” Scott blurted out beyond rationality. His breath was ragged, his heart racing in his chest and as Logan reached for his hips again, pulling Scott up towards his lap, Scott whimpered. His legs sprawled out across the bed, bending at the knee and pushing up over Logan’s chest until finally Logan dipped his fingers into the jar again. He carefully coated them, guiding the salve over his thick, throbbing arousal, graciously covering himself in a generous layer of Scott’s miracle substance before finally repositioning himself over Scott.

“I’m going to hold you to that,” Logan warned feeling the solid twist of Scott’s legs high around his back, caging Logan in his embrace until finally Logan pressed forward. For a moment his gaze lingered upon Scott’s lips thinking about all the stolen kisses they’d shared back home when the rest of the world had forgotten about them.

Now miles away from the others caught up in a new dangerous world with the threat of disaster upon them, Logan found himself at ease sinking into the tight, hot sheath that Scott’s body provided him. With each painfully slow press he made, Scott arched his head back squeezing his fingers over the edge of the sash around his wrists. He whimpered fighting to contain himself as Logan eased in deeper, feeling the warmth of Scott welcoming him home again until finally Logan’s hips were pressed against Scott’s bottom caught up in the connection between them.

“I mean it Logan,” Scott panted shifting just enough to attempt to force movement between them. He raised his head up searching for Logan through the darkness when his flushed features revealed something more behind his longing, “anything you want from me, it’s yours no questions asked.”

“What about your heart?” Logan questioned reaching out to touch the side of Scott’s face. When Logan shifted his hips, he watched Scott shudder with pleasure, coiling his body with delight when Logan dragged his thick length back, pulling almost completely out of Scott before pushing forward and hitting home once again. The movement caused Scott to cry out, no longer captive to his concerns when Logan created an erotic rhythm between them.

“Don’t you already know by now?” Scott breathed heavily, turning his body over to Logan completely, “It’s always been yours.”

“That’s all I ever wanted to hear,” Logan confessed dipping forward to claim Scott’s mouth in a wild, explicit kiss as they explored their passion with one another underneath the moonlight in a place neither anticipated they would ever find during their time away from the rest of the world.

With each urgent kiss and wild caress, it seemed that the time apart faded between them melding into the same magic and temptation that had guided them from enemies to lovers long before they’d found themselves wrapped up in something deeper. Now as Logan found himself making love to Scott, offering himself completely to his lover, he began realizing that out of madness something wonderful was happening between them—something that Logan hoped like hell would never be taken from them ever again.

* * *

  
“I know it isn’t any of my business, but did you sleep with her Logan?” Scott’s tired voice questioned as Logan curled his arm around Scott’s spine keeping him crushed over Logan’s damp chest.

“What?” Logan questioned raising his head up to discover Scott’s damp dark hair, curling in ringlets around his features. It framed his perfect face offering up a beautiful view of his lover over him savoring the connection that remained between them.

“Demeter,” Scott pressed the issue further when the scent of jealousy surrounded them, bringing with it a newfound tension in the air between them at Scott’s questioning, “did you sleep with her?”

“Do you think I slept with her?” Logan questioned bringing his hand up over Scott’s spine only to feel Scott wince against his touch.

Taking in a calming breath Scott shifted in his arms before speaking up again quietly, “I could sense how interested she was when we left the temple. I know how pushy she can be when she wants something and…”

“Scott, how can you think that I would even consider another woman when you’re all I’ve ever wanted? Aside from the arrangement we had back home with Jean and Emma, I never would even dream of…?” Logan’s voice trailed off when a thought carried over him.

“It’s alright if you did. I can’t blame you for having lust in your heart in this place,” Scott’s voice was tired, exhausted in ways that Logan hadn’t noticed when Scott had first entered the bedroom, “Demeter is a beautiful woman from what I’ve been told and…”

“This place is crazy Slim, but to think that I would even consider…” Logan paused taking in his words, “Did you say Demeter?”

“That’s right,” Scott raised his head up to in an attempt to focus on Logan despite his long dark eyelashes being pinched together tightly, “I know what she’s like when a man piques her interest. When you were alone with her…”

“Why would I want her when I have you?” Logan curled his finger underneath Scott’s chin, coaxing Scott to crawl over him to kiss him once again, “You’re all that I need Slim.”

“You say that now, but things are complicated back home. With Jean and Emma…” Scott’s face fell at the weight of the reality of what was waiting for them back home.

“I haven’t hidden any of this from them,” Logan divulged quietly as his hands gripped at Scott’s hips to hold Scott closer. Coaxing Scott to grind up against him, Logan let out a low, satisfied purr reveling in the warmth of Scott’s skin over his. The moonlight spilled across the bedroom emphasizing the hard lines of Scott’s body as Logan held Scott over him in quiet contemplation, “Well, except where we are considering that I didn’t want either one of them wrapped up in all of this. I knew this was far too dangerous for them, but as for what I asked of you back then…”

“You told them what has been happening?” Scott’s face flashed with surprise.

“I did,” Logan nodded in confession as Scott’s face twisted with something Logan couldn’t quite read.

“Then they know that I’ve been here living in this place being used as…”

“A pawn in someone else’s game,” Logan finished with a frown when Scott’s body tensed up over him, “They know that you are a victim in all of this just as I am. When Atlas brought us both here…”

“There are things about this place that,” Scott bit down on his kiss-swelled lip nervously, “aren’t safe for either of us that…”

“I realize that,” Logan slurred arching up off the mattress to coax Scott into another kiss. It seemed to be enough to melt Scott’s fears temporarily. With a push of his palm over Scott’s spine, Logan teased his fingertips over Scott’s smooth skin feeling it respond to the touch until finally Logan felt a groove sinking into the muscular planes of Scott’s back causing Scott to wince again.

“Don’t,” Scott pleaded pulling away from the kiss. He reached for Logan’s hands pushing them down to his hips again when Scott shuddered at Logan’s discovery.

“What did she do to you?” Logan questioned removing his hand from Scott’s hip to discover the warmth of Scott’s blood upon his fingers. With a frown, Logan repositioned Scott so that he was laying on the bed beside Logan, turned away with arms folded in front of his chest.

“Logan please,” Scott lowered his head when Logan’s eyes fell upon the long, thin marks upon Scott’s otherwise flawless skin. There before him Logan could see the remains of the wrath he’d awakened in the goddess when Scott’s splintered skin revealed a scattered array of cuts and scrapes tearing into his flesh.

“She hurt you,” Logan reached out to touch Scott’s skin again. The touch caused Scott to flinch when Logan realized that Scott’s wounds were still fresh and new, some of them reopened after they’d made love. Looking down to the sheet, Logan realized Scott hadn’t bothered to share his pain with Logan. He hadn’t made a sound about the obvious discomfort he’d felt in having Logan over him pushing him past the point of no return, “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“It doesn’t hurt. It was the price to pay for my insubordination,” Scott spoke up behind gritted teeth. It was an obvious lie, but Logan knew Scott was too proud to admit defeat. In seeing him naked and stretched out across the bed soaking in the salty air and moonlight that surrounded them, Logan realized that things were still spiraling out of control between them.

“I never meant for any of this,” Logan sighed hanging his head down heavily.

“I’m still here,” Scott spoke up behind gritted teeth. He shuddered when Logan’s index finger traced over the top of the wound, pushing past Scott’s fresh cuts to a place where the wounds ran far deeper between them, “That’s what matters.”

“You shouldn’t be here,” Logan mouthed guiltily. Reaching out to trace a line over Scott’s spine again, Logan’s eyes were drawn to the places where the deeper scars had once been over Scott’s flesh a lifetime ago.

“Neither should you,” Scott sighed caught up in a moment of contemplation when Logan leaned forward to place a small kiss over Scott’s shoulder, “This isn’t our first war together.”

“Maybe not, but it doesn’t make me regret the ones we’ve had between us any less,” Logan confessed stroking the damp edges of Scott’s hair. Wordlessly he twisted Scott in his arms coaxing Scott to lay over him once again, “All the time we wasted in being stubborn only stole our future from us.”

“It was in another life,” Scott reminded Logan once again, “We both had to follow that path to end up…”

“In this place where I sat back and allowed some unhinged lunatic to whip you like that all because you defended me,” Logan shuddered wishing like hell that he hadn’t allowed Scott to walk out of the temple with the deranged woman at his side.

“Her lashings were nothing compared to the ache in my heart in not having you,” Scott confessed bringing his hand up over the center of Logan’s chest, “For so long I was lost inside of myself—far from any reminder of what I was and…”

“I knew that you weren’t gone,” Logan kissed the top of Scott’s head, “Even though we weren’t able to find you, I felt that you were still here. Jeanie and Emma both tried to seek you out. They both struggled to find you, but…”

“I was beyond your reach,” Scott sighed poignantly, “I was trapped inside of my mind lost in this place where everything and nothing makes sense. In this world that…”

“You don’t belong here,” Logan repeated feeling his heart sink when he thought of the place that surrounded them, “After you vanished without a trace, Jean and Emma did everything in their power to help me find you. Together we fought like hell to get you back and…”

“Are they…?” Scott wouldn’t help, but question, “Are they alright?”

“They are scared out of their mind afraid for you,” Logan answered honestly, “They both have been beyond consoling since you’ve been gone. They miss you as much as I do and…”

“Once again I’ve found a way to complicate all of your lives,” Scott sighed shifting above Logan.

“No,” Logan replied firmly, “If anything you’ve only found a way to make our lives complete Slim. You’ve given us all so much and…”

“The complications that surround the four of us goes without saying Logan. When I think about the state of things back home when I left…” Scott’s words tapered off as the weight of their history seemed to linger upon them.

“They know what we talked about before you left,” Logan explained bracing himself for Scott’s reaction to his words, “I told them everything Slim and…”

“And?”

“They said they understood. They want us to be happy,” Logan promised touching the side of Scott’s face, “They know how important we are to one another and…”

“Have they been at odds with one another over all of this?” Scott’s voice trailed off, “Now that I have been gone, have they been hurting since this happened? Are they…?”

“They’ve surprisingly come around on a great many things,” Logan hesitated before drawing in a slow breath, “especially with each other.”

“Oh,” Scott replied catching the tone Logan had offered him without saying too much, “and they are…happy?”

“I wouldn’t exactly call them friends, but they’ve evolved into something…more,” Logan paused weighing out his words.

“Really?” Scott questioned tilting his head up towards Logan.

“Their grief united them with us all being worried sick about you. When you disappeared, things changed for all of us. It made us really take weight of the things that mattered in life. Without you there, it only forced us to face how important you are to each one of us. You are the centerpiece of our relationships and without you everything was lost. All the superficial things were over when we were faced with the idea of never being able to be close to you again. None of us gave up hope, but we had to find a way to work together to bring you home again,” Logan confessed with a small smile, “Just as you imagined they came together like an unstoppable force to help me make that happen once we talked about the way things are.”

“And they are…safe?” Scott questioned contemplating what was waiting back home for them.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Logan promised him with a brush of his fingers over the side of Scott’s face, “Just like I want for you to be once we get out of this. After we find our way out of here…”

“How did you get here Logan? How did you find me?” Scott questioned shifting the direction of their conversation, “I’m not even sure where here is, yet you say that someone brought you here …”

“That’s right. There was a man named Atlas who was running the show. He sent me an invitation to a place called Elysium when I was in Vegas looking for you and…”

“What kind of invitation?” Scott questioned reaching out beyond where he was over Logan. His fingers sought out the silken sash through the darkness attempting to pull it from the headboard.

“It was almost as if it was a dare,” Logan answered reaching up to assist Scott in his search for the blindfold. Capturing the silk in his fingers, Logan took a moment to hold his hand over Scott’s. He savored the warmth of Scott’s touch before moving to assist Scott in his attempt to reposition the silken sash over his eyes, “He’s a delusional, narcissistic bastard that…”

“…you believe brought us here into this?” Scott weighed out Logan’s words while securing the knot behind his head.

“I took a plane out here where they drugged me before I wound up in his compound,” Logan explained recounting his journey to find Scott, “Once I woke up in this room chained down to a chair…”

“In this place?” Scott questioned with a frown, “Logan we are so far from civilization that…”

“It must be a part of the game that he spoke of when he was taunting me. He kept saying that he enjoyed playing games and that I was about to become a part of one just like you are.”

“What kind of game?” Scott asked.

“I assumed that he meant all of this world around us. Hell, what do you remember about your arrival here?” Logan couldn’t help, but question pulling Scott into his arms again once his blindfold was in place, “How did you wind up in all of this?”

“I…I honestly don’t know. Everything before here was lost inside of me for so long. It was as if my mind simply forgot all that I was before I arrived here,” Scott reluctance acknowledged, “Before you forced me to react in the temple, there were a lot of things that were missing, but now in being here with you, it feels like it’s coming back to me. I can remember home and you, but…”

“What?”

“I have no memory of a man named Atlas or any kind of game,” Scott answered honestly, “All I can see is this place—this world where everything is in chaos.”

“You had to have started there in his compound like I did Slim. He must’ve said something to you that…” Logan prompted Scott further, “There must’ve been some clue that carried with you.”

“I wish I could say that I did, but it’s a blank slate. Everything about how I ended up here in this place is a blur,” Scott let out a long sigh. He lowered his head against the center of Logan’s chest, making himself comfortable with his leg pushed in between Logan’s thighs, “I vaguely remember going to Vegas with Alex and finding that boy Charles told us about, but after we set down on the strip…”

“What happened?” Logan questioned leading Scott to search his mind for the memories that had evaded him in this strange place that surrounded them.

“We found the boy…Sanja…where Charles said we would find him. He was out in the middle of nowhere terrified by the world around him,” Scott explained taking in a long, slow breath. His fingers curled out over Logan’s chest, massaging the dark, coarse hair upon it gingerly, “He’d been on his own for a few weeks and by the time we found him half-starved and locked away from the world, he was so afraid. The details on how he’d arrived in that particular spot in the desert were vague, but it was my understanding that he’d lost his parents.”

“How?” Logan questioned feeling Scott’s hold in him constrict further.

“Charles didn’t say much more than it was catastrophic,” Scott’s voice grew distanced, “Whatever tragedy he endured, it changed him in a moment of chaos leaving him on his own and afraid. He ran for shelter to an abandoned shack in the middle of nowhere without food or water for days before we found him Logan.”

“Poor kid,” Logan frowned.

“He was so afraid,” Scott’s fingers danced over Logan’s skin leaving him caught up in recall, “The shack was barely adequate shelter for a boy his age. He was so hungry and tired all on his own.”

“But you found him and promised to bring him back with you, didn’t you?” Logan questioned.

Scott nodded, “Charles told me it was imperative that I find the boy before anyone else did. He said it was too important to leave him out there any longer on his own afraid of the world around him.”

“Alex mentioned that the boy took to you almost immediately when you found him,” Logan added skimming his fingertips over Scott’s spine in a light, gentle massage careful to avoid the wounds the goddess had thrust upon him, “He said that the boy warmed up to you right away when he’d gotten into that place he was hiding.”

“Kindred spirits I guess,” Scott offered up a small sigh, “Those who experience that kind of tragedy in their lives so young tend to gravitate to one another. It’s as if we share this unspoken emptiness that others who have experienced it can sense. Once you endure it, it’s always a part of you lingering inside as a piece of you is always missing.”

“Slim…” Logan frowned.

“He was so lost and felt so alone,” Scott’s words trailed off to a darker place that went beyond the bedroom they were in with one another, “He knew what it was like to be afraid and on his own, yet he was strong Logan. Neither Alex nor I knew what we were walking into when I made my way inside of that shack. I knew he’d be afraid, but I had no idea that…”

“What?” Logan questioned.

“He was so much stronger than Charles imagined,” Scott’s revealed in a low, quiet voice, “At the time I realized we truly had no idea of just what he was capable of. Somehow in finding him the objective of the mission changed and…”

“What?” Logan asked worriedly, “What happened Slim?”

“I don’t know. I mean it’s there in bits and pieces—like fragmented snapshots of that time passing in out of my brain. I can feel it slipping into my subconscious every now in then revealing pieces of the world I left behind, but then when I try to focus on it, well, it just isn’t there anymore,” Scott hesitated attempting to pull the life he left behind him together again, “I know something happened in the desert what that boy, but there’s something keeping me from seeing it.”

“What about before you found the boy? What then when you were leading up to that point?”

“I don’t know,” Scott sighed snuggling in over Logan’s bare form, “I didn’t have any recall until you found me. Even now…what was there at home is still so hazy. I can remember finding you on the couch, stretched out and ready for a day of football. I remember our conversation before leaving the school and heading out to the desert.”

“I haven’t forgotten that either,” Logan’s fingers tapered off over Scott’s skin, attempting to soothe the frustration that swept over him.

“Even so,” Scott spoke up behind gritted teeth, “I can still recall Alex talking about a sport’s game he watched with Bobby the night before when we were flying out there, but…everything between landing in Vegas and finding Sanja in that shack struggling to survive…it’s like there are holes in my mind, unable to be filled by the memories of that time.”

“Alex said that you took the boy to a hotel in Vegas after you pulled him out of the desert,” Logan explained thinking about the words he’d stewed over again and again during the time Scott was missing, “He mentioned that there was something wrong with the jet—something that kept you grounded for a bit, so you wanted to take the boy somewhere safe.”

Scott nodded, “He wasn’t sure of anything, so I wanted to have him somewhere that he could feel secure.”

“Which had to be a challenge in Vegas,” Logan half teased remembering the gritty world he’d walked into on his search for Scott.

“It wasn’t really a place for a small boy, but he hadn’t eaten a proper meal in a while. Given how long he was on his own, I knew that he needed time to recover while we sorted out the issue with the jet,” Scott’s lips curved downward in the beginnings of a scowl, “When we got to the hotel I remember that Alex talked about some buffet he wanted to try in Vegas while we waited on the jet. Sanja needed a meal so it made sense. I wasn’t eager to stick around given the nature of the assignment, but we were out of options. The next thing I knew…”

“You disappeared,” Logan sighed feeling a heaviness weigh upon him in the truth, “Alex said you were going to meet with someone the last time you spoke with him.”

“That’s right. There was…there was a man at my hotel after we returned from the buffet and he had an invitation,” Scott struggled to come to terms with what had happened when Logan’s prompting seemed to cause something to click inside of his subconscious, “I wasn’t expecting him when I got back, but there he was offering up a request.”

“What kind of request?” Logan questioned behind gritted teeth.

“I don’t remember anymore,” Scott shuddered attempting to visualize his strange visitor at the hotel, “but I know it was serious enough that I ended up making the decision to investigate. I spoke with Alex before I left to check things out. He wanted to accompany me to meet with the stranger, but I made him stay behind just in case things went sour. I didn’t trust something about the situation, so I didn’t tell him everything about the stranger. I made him promise to look after Sanja, but after I left the hotel…”

“What?” Logan prompted him further.

“It’s all a blur,” Scott disclosed bringing his hand over the center of Logan’s chest in a light massage, “I can see a shadow of the stranger before me, but I can’t remember his face. The invitation piqued my curiosity after we find Sanja. There was something I needed to do, but then I lost sight of myself. Everything about home was gone until when we were in the temple together. When you touched me the way you did it did something to me and…”

“It all came rushing back to you,” Logan half questioned knowing that what mattered most had returned to him with Scott in his arms.

“At first, I couldn’t quite place the connection when you approached me. There was something so familiar, but now…” Scott paused pushing up on his elbows and hovering over Logan, “I know that with you I’m home. At long last this weight has been lifted off me now that you’re here and…”

“We’re together again,” Logan agreed reaching out to touch the side of Scott’s face, “and when I figure out how to get us out of this mess, I promise you that we’re going to do things right. When we get back home…”

“If we get back there,” Scott corrected with a frown when the weight of their situation carried over him, “I have no idea how we ended up here of all places, but it isn’t like we can just hop on the jet and go home. We’re obviously not even remotely close to civilization. I have doubts that we’re even in the same universe or even time period considering that all things to point to us being in…”

“Ancient Greece at the time the myths came to life,” Logan finished with a tiny shudder in remembering his mission on the island. Looking to the fresh cuts that still lingered over Scott’s back, Logan couldn’t help, but scowl at the madness that surrounded them, “This place carries with it so many secrets—so many deceptive turns that only opens the door to more questions than answers after Atlas abducted you.”

“As it stands, we’re in the middle of a war right now between Persephone and Hades that has gone on many years and…” Scott interrupted with a tiny shudder returning them to their current situation, “things are going to get far uglier before they improve for us. Both are powerful gods ruling this universe and…”

“I understand that leaving isn’t going to be easy, but…” Logan stopped himself when Scott’s words began to register, “Did you say Persephone? Are you trying to tell me that monster at your side is Persephone?”

“That’s right and despite what you witnessed tonight, well, she’s not really a monster Logan,” Scott nodded uneasily when his thoughts pulled him away from Logan’s arms and back to a place where Logan had hoped he’d refrain from going during their time together.

“After what she did to you earlier, how can you say that?” Logan blinked back at him.

Scott faltered behind a tense expression, “She can be unforgiving at times, but she knows what she wants and she’s not going to back down from this war of hers. She is driven by her passion and desire to destroy the old gods and…”

“Wait a second,” Logan’s scowl intensified in thinking about the woman who’d claimed Scott as her own, “So, you’re saying that the goddess that tried to kill me tonight is Persephone? The Persephone?”

“I already said that Logan. You saw for yourself when you met her earlier,” Scott wrinkled his nose at Logan.

“Yes, I met her, but we were never truly introduced to one another. Other than her trying to slaughter me without hesitation, I didn’t exactly get to know her,” Logan scowled tracing his fingertips over Scott’s back all the while careful to avoid the wounds she’d inflicted upon Scott. The marked his lover’s skin serving as a severe reminder of the hell Atlas had brought down upon them in his ‘game’, “but I’ll be honest when I tell you I think I’m going to kill her.”

“You can’t kill her,” Scott frowned, “She’s immortal.”

“She hurt you,” Logan gently touched Scott’s wound again, “She put you in a position where she did this to you just because you stood up and did the right thing. What kind of goddess does that make her?”

“One that doesn’t want her army to lean towards the path of insubordination,” Scott sighed bringing his hand out to pull Logan’s finger away from his torn flesh, “I knew what I was doing when I defied her in the temple. I knew what would become of me and…”

“You shouldn’t have been put in that position in the first place, but then again…” Logan felt guilt weigh in upon him when Scott shifted over him, “I never should’ve put you in that position to begin with.”

“We found one another again,” Scott tensed up against him, “That’s what matters.”

“Perhaps, but at the same time we never should’ve allowed ourselves to get that far out of hand until we were safe and…” Logan decided wondering if they could truly be safe in the world that Atlas had created around them.

“I never would’ve left with you,” Scott confessed poignantly, “Even now we have to be careful in what happens next. With each step that we take towards freedom, we will fall further from grace. If I simply walked away from her now…”

“What would it matter? She can still have her war. Atlas can have his games and we…” Logan paused pulling Scott up into his arms again. He traced the side of Scott’s hollowed cheekbone before pressing his thumb over the center of Scott’s plump, parted lips, “We can be free.”

“Not at the price we have to pay,” Scott shook his head solemnly, “We have to find another way out of this because for now…”

“She intends to take you as her husband,” Logan blurted out unable to ignore the jealousy that carried over him, “Her mother told me that she intends to use you to win this war and then make you her king…”

“I know,” Scott lowered his head shamefully, “I’m aware of her intentions.”

“And?” Logan asked.

“What?”

“What are your goals in all of this?” Logan couldn’t help, but question further.

“To stay alive and help as many others as I can do the same in the middle of this war,” Scott declared in an impassioned tone, “I plan on doing what it takes to save them and…”

“I understand that is your usual stance on things, but you never mentioned that included being betrothed to her,” Logan reeled with the weight of Scott’s declaration.

“Well, we’re not technically engaged, but at this point, yes she and I are a bit…betrothed in her mind for lack of a better word I suppose,” Scott struggled to come to terms with the situation that he’d found himself in.

“And this is how she treats her husband-to-be,” Logan snarled reaching out to bring his hands over Scott’s waist.

“Logan, it’s not what you think it is,” Scott sighed sitting upright. He leaned across the bed and reached for the small golden jar he’d brought with him, “This is far from the worst thing that ever happened to me.”

“It happened because of me,” Logan grumbled watching Scott twist the lid off of the jar, “It happened because I wasn’t strong enough to…”

“It happened because I didn’t have an adequate means of bringing a better resolution to our situation,” Scott explained holding the jar out towards Logan, “Here take some of this and put it on my back.”

“Why?” Logan questioned tilting his head and watching as Scott held the small jar out towards him.

“This serves quite a few purposes out here,” Scott set the jar down on the bed beside him. Turning away from Logan, he braced his hands on the soft sheet beneath him. He tiled his head down expelling a long, tired breath when Logan did as he was instructed, “It is also used for healing out here.”

“Healing,” Logan looked to the jar with skepticism, but instead of arguing it with Scott, he reached for the small golden jar. Dipping his fingers inside he scooped out some of the salve and leaned forward to rub it over Scott’s wound. At first contact Scott flinched, gripping the sheet beneath him, but with a small sigh, his fingers eased up when Logan carefully spread the salve over his broken skin, “Does it hurt?”

“Not nearly as much as you think it does,” Scott answered readily. He sat stiffly in front of Logan, allowing his lover to dress his wounds until finally Logan set the jar down again. He slid back onto the bed on his knees looking at the smooth lines of Scott’s broken body.

“Now what?” Logan asked.

“Now we wait,” Scott answered stretching his fingers out to collect the jar again. He carefully replaced the lid on top of it before turning to Logan again, “I know that none of this may make sense to you Logan, but I have been here quite some time and…”

“And fighting a war that Persephone waged upon Hades to gain control of the underworld somehow does to you?” Logan finished for him when a new thought carried over him.

“I thought we covered that already,” Scott couldn’t help, but frown dismissively when Logan slid in closer to Scott. Without asking Logan eased his arms around Scott’s waist and coaxed Scott into turning into his touch, “She’s been building an army for a long time. When she first discovered me, she was in the heat of a grueling battle, but our connection changed things for her. She took me in offering me a purpose and reason as one of her generals in this war. Together we kept pushing forward doing everything in her power to align the stars so that we could be victorious at the end of this battle against her enemies.”

“Damn it,” Logan let out an ironic laugh despite his rage, “Now this makes sense.”

“What does?” Scott questioned with a small scowl when Logan released him again, “Logan, I don’t see anything amusing in the slightest bit about a war of this magnitude. You have no idea the hell we’ve been through in all of this. Lives have been lost…people have suffered at the hands of the gods. With what is riding on the table in all of this…”

“Think about it for a second Scott,” Logan reached out to touch the side of Scott’s face, “For a moment just stop focusing on this war and think about what you’re saying.”

“I’m telling you that we’re about to be right in the center of a war unlike anything anyone has ever seen. With the gods enraged this has become brutal and full of carnage,” Scott continued to rehash the war he’d been a part of, “The carnage has only intensified causing Persephone to push forward in her plight to be victorious and…”

“No, I get that, but just take a moment to step back and realize what you are saying,” Logan reached out to squeeze at Scott’s bare hip.

“I’m saying that there’s a war meant to end the suffering of those around us Logan. Persephone is doing her best to bring an end to the tyrannical reign that Hades holds over all of us in this place and…” Scott continued to recount what had undoubtedly been the story he’d surrounded himself with during the time of his abduction, but the more Logan listened to it, the more he realized that things weren’t at all as simple as they seemed to his companion.

“Think back to your literature class you did all that preparation for that one summer,” Logan prompted nudging Scott ever so slightly in the ribs, “You know the one that you ended up making me sit in on when we were in the middle of that thing in Albany? You were running behind, but you insisted upon finishing with the lesson plan and…”

“I’m not following,” Scott frowned tilting his head at just the right angle to allow the moonlight to caress his soft skin, emphasizing just how beautiful Scott was beside Logan. His strong, steely jawline was flexed with tension, but his plump, parted lips caused Logan to momentarily fall to distraction again, “I mean yes I can recall you sitting in on a great many of my classes bored out of your mind, but…”

“Persephone and Hades,” Logan spoke their names pointedly hoping to spark a reaction from Scott.

“What about them?” Scott question with a small frown, “I’m not following.”

“What do you mean what about them?” Logan questioned shifting on the bed so that he was turned towards Scott. Touching the side of his face, Logan coaxed Scott to tilt his chin in towards him as Logan’s thumb skimmed over the plump, pouting center of Scott’s bottom lip, “Don’t you remember the mythology lessons you’d worked over for the students when we were taking that field trip? What about that piece from the museum? The rape of Persephone?”

“Rape of Persephone?” Scott repeated with a horrified expression on his face, “Logan, are you telling me that Hades is going to try to hurt her by…?”

“It refers to her abduction by her future husband,” Logan prompted him further when concern flickered over Scott’s handsome features at the possible peril his goddess companion could encounter in her war against Hades, “It captured the tale of how Hades tricked her into eating those seeds or whatever…I can’t quite remember other than he made her eat something in the underworld knowing it would carry dire consequences.”

“She wouldn’t share a conversation let alone a meal with him,” Scott frowned back at him, “She despises him with everything she is and…”

“In the story you told me things were quite different,” Logan explained reaching out to squeeze at Scott’s thigh, “The story clearly stated that one day Hades spotted her picking flowers in a meadow and he instantly fell in love with her. Without her permission he abducted her, taking her into the underworld with him where he decided to claim her as his bride.”

“She wouldn’t marry him,” Scott attempted to interrupt, “She despises him with all that she is and…”

“Just listen,” Logan brought his index finger up over the center of Scott’s lips to silence him, “When Persephone went missing her mother, Demeter, went into an uproar searching for her. It was a big thing and ultimately the gods compromised so that Persephone could spend half the year with her husband Hades, whom she wound up falling in love with and the other half with her mother Demeter, who by the way is quite handsy if I do say so myself. You should’ve seen the way she kept trying to grope me tonight when…”

“Logan,” Scott’s voice was firm and authoritative when he twisted beside Logan, “focus.”

“Right,” Logan cleared his throat and reached out to touch the side of Scott’s face in an attempt to command his attention, “According to the myth that event was what created the change of seasons when Demeter mourns her daughter being in the Underworld with Hades. It brings about Autumn and Winter, but in the spring…”

“Persephone returns to be with her mother and life on Earth is renewed again,” Scott realized when something clicked behind his lost features. Abruptly he sat upright when another thought carried over him. He seemed to allow the thought to weigh in upon him before he reached out to pull Logan into an impromptu embrace, “Logan, you’re a genius.”

“Well, I mean I’ve been telling you that for years, but what did I do now?” Logan questioned as Scott pressed a small kiss upon his lips.

“You reminded me of something very important,” Scott replied shifting on the bed beside him, “This war between Hades and Persephone never should’ve been happening because the two of them were fated to be with one another and not bitter rivals. Even with the complications that surrounded their courtship, they eventually found their way to be lovers and their romance inspired great stories beyond their inception and…”

“Yeah, um, well about that,” Logan cleared his throat again and sat up straighter on the sheet, “I sort of had a run in with him before I found my way out here to you.”

“With Hades?” Scott questioned turning towards the sound of Logan’s voice.

“Yeah,” Logan nodded realizing that Scott couldn’t see his actions. Instead of nodding a second time, he let out a pinched, ironic laugh, “real sneaky son of a bitch. Truth be told I had to wonder if he’s a bit of a mutant himself as he’s a shapeshifter. He kept doing this thing where he was trying to break into my mind somehow and force a reaction out of me by…”

“What?” Scott questioned as Logan grew unusually silent.

“Reminding me of what I stood to lose with you being gone,” Logan replied bringing his hand up over the back of his neck to rub at the spot where tension was building inside of him, “He pretty much told me that the only way to help you find yourself again was to seduce you once I found you.”

“Hades told you to seduce me?” Scott questioned unable to mask his surprise at Logan’s declaration, “The lord of the Underworld told you to take me to bed to help me remember who you are?”

“It worked, didn’t it?” Logan challenged watching Scott twist on the bed beside him.

“Well…I mean I…” Scott swallowed down hard.

“That was only a part of it. He also said that I would have to do the impossible and…” Logan stopped himself when he felt a flush carry over him.

“What?” Scott questioned when Logan reached out to touch the side of Scott’s face in a tender, sweeping brush of his fingers against Scott’s smooth skin.

“He told me that I would have to find a way to win your heart and make you fall in love with me,” Logan confessed in a raw, broken tone. His gaze lingered to Scott’s lips remembering what it felt like to kiss him earlier. In a rush of memory, their time together flashed through Logan’s mind taking him on a mental journey of their history from the time they’d met until this moment where they were together in a strange ancient world caught up in one another’s arms, “He said it was the only way to find you again. He said if I could find a way to make you fall in love with me…”

“Logan,” Scott tilted his head into Logan’s touch. His lips parted as a small smirk carried over the corners of his mouth, “you didn’t have to work to try to make me fall in love with you because I already am.”

“Scott…” Logan half questioned thinking about the complications of the world they’d left behind them.

“I’ve been in love with you from the first time I saw you,” Scott’s grin expanded when warmth filled his perfectly sculpted cheekbones, “As crazy as it sounds I knew there was something special there, but it took a while for me to pinpoint exactly what it was that you did to me.”

“But for all the years that we…” Logan trailed off not quite sure how to respond to Scott’s declaration.

“We thought it was animosity—that we didn’t like each other, but all of the fighting, all of the bickering, well it led us to this moment—to this place where we were free to be with one another without the chains of the outside world upon us weighing us down,” Scott offered up readily. Reaching out in the moonlight, he gripped at Logan’s fingers offering up a small squeeze when he interlaced their fingers together in a warm grip, “That morning when I left you, I’d considered your offer. I’d thought about what you’d asked of me and the truth is that I wasn’t eager to leave without giving you an answer. I was just afraid that in doing so it would change things.”

“That was kind of the point Slim,” Logan replied reciprocating the small squeeze Scott had upon his hand.

“I know that, but you know how my history has been. You know how we’ve both been when it has come to relationships and love,” Scott let out an ironic laugh, “I’m not good at marriage by any means and…”

“Like I’m any better,” Logan wrinkled his nose at his lover’s concerns, “We’re both so fucked up beyond belief that it only made sense for us to enter into a partnership with one another. I’m not saying that you have to give up Emma or Jeanie, but in making a commitment to one another like we discussed…”

“I thought about it long and hard,” Scott answered readily, “I even talked to them about it and…”

“And?” Logan felt butterflies dance in the center of his stomach, “What did they say?”

“That they wanted what was best for me,” Scott confessed bringing Logan’s hand up over the side of his face, “and you’re what’s best for me Logan. I know what I want—what I’ve always wanted and I’m ready.”

“You mean you’re saying that…” Logan’s jaw dropped in astonishment.

“I might not be the best at expressing how I feel or being one with my emotions, but you’re already aware of that. You know who I am—really know me in ways that not many people do and at the time you asked for us to take this further,” Scott hesitated when his memories seemed to flood down upon him, “I wanted to make sure that we were entering into this for the right reasons. I wanted to be certain that this wouldn’t be a mistake for either one of us, but now after all this time we spent apart I’m more certain than ever of my decision. I know now that I don’t want to spend another day without you by my side.”

“So, then you’re saying?” Logan felt his breath catch in his throat. His heartbeat sped up matching Scott’s as Scott reached out through the darkness to cup and hold Logan’s face, attempting to command Logan’s full attention with the movement.

“Yes,” Scott declared without hesitation. His voice was full of determination and certainty, “I say yes just like I’d planned on doing when I was back home wishing like hell that I didn’t have to leave on that mission while you lounged around without me.”

“I should’ve joined you on that mission. I should’ve found a way to convince you that we should’ve stayed together. Then we could’ve avoided all this business with Atlas and feuding gods and…” Logan replied as Scott wrapped his arms around Logan’s broad, muscular shoulders to pull Logan in closer to him for another urgent, emotional kiss.

“You’re here now,” Scott’s words vibrated against Logan’s lips. With each nip and tease, the intimacy in their exchange expanded, growing in intensity until they were down on the bed again wrapped up in one another’s arms, “That’s all that matters.”

“Aside from the fact that we’re about to be caught in the middle of a war between gods who ultimately want to destroy one another just for kicks,” Logan couldn’t help, but return to their new reality thinking about the hold Persephone had over Scott, “I don’t know how those two could go from being great lovers to…”

“Someone twisted their fate. Their identities were stolen from them just as mine was and…,” Scott interrupted when something seemed to register behind his flexed jaw, “Logan, I think I know how to fix this.”

“You do?” Logan questioned watching as Scott seemed to be running through a plan silently in the back of his mind. With a frown, Logan pushed up on his elbows to look down at Scott beneath him, “Are you going to share or is this something you’re just going to spring on me?”

“Right,” Scott mouthed when he leaned back against the pillow beneath him, “We need to find Sanja. He’s the key to all of this.”

“Sanja?” Logan repeated giving Scott a curious once over.

“The boy…the mutant that Charles sent us to find,” Scott continued as the wheels were clearly turning in his mind, “He’s a very gifted child with powerful abilities. That was why Charles sought him out. I remember that.”

“What kind of abilities?” Logan couldn’t help, but question when Scott shifted beneath him on the blankets.

“I’m not sure how he does it, but he’s able to bend time and universes to his bidding,” Scott explained in a low, quiet tone, “He’s able to reshape and design his own world, pulling together a collective of his thoughts and…”

“Are you saying a child put this nightmare together?” Logan questioned in astonishment, “That we’re somehow in a dream of his?”

“No Logan,” Scott paused weighing out his words, “It’s far more complicated than that. We’re not in a dream. If I’m right about this, then we’re in a world that he created from his thoughts.”

“How could a child’s mind come up with this kind of place with these kinds of horrors when…?”

“He must be being manipulated in using his powers to twist this universe,” Scott continued with a small scowl, “He was terrified on his own, missing his mother after her tragic death. Losing her caused him to flee to that run-down cabin in the desert. He didn’t trust anyone—that was clear when we worked our way inside. He was desperate for another sign of human contact, but reluctant at the same time. He had been alone for so long… There were a few discarded cans of beans from days earlier and a library of old schoolbooks that…”

“Such as a book on mythology?” Logan arched a curious brow watching as Scott nodded.

“I believe that was one of the titles that he’d kept beside him when we left the cabin,” Scott recounted when the details of his time on the mission came flooding back to him, “The books had comforted him after he’d been left behind—taken from his mother. He was upset and after I’d spoken with him, I’d promised we could find what was left of his family. I told him that we could take him back to the school until we could find his family again, but…”

“Atlas came calling,” Logan finished knowingly, “He was the one that came to you in Vegas with the invitation, wasn’t he?”

“I’m not sure. I feel like whomever reached out to me had something to do with Sanja, but…,” Scott divulged quietly, “that part of this journey has been a blur. How I ended up here with Persephone like I have in this place is beyond me, but if Sanja was able to bring this construct to life, then…”

“None of this is real and we are truly players in a game that Atlas created,” Logan finished triumphantly looking around the room and taking in the contradiction his surroundings truly were. The bedroom was more like something he’d witnessed in a Hollywood film with his surprisingly lavish surroundings, but there was something attempting to pull the time period into their environment as if to hold the illusion that surrounded them. Turning to Scott again, he couldn’t help, but release a breath of relief, “It means that we’re free to walk out of this Matrix style and…”

“No,” Scott shook his head firmly. He reached out to place his hand over the center of Logan’s chest, gently pressing his fingertips over the spot over Logan’s rapid beating heart, “It isn’t as simple as that. This world is very real. It’s as real as you and I are and if we are trapped inside of it, then we need to keep it going in its construct. Should it somehow crumble around us, then we will be trapped here forever lost in this universe where…”

“…we are pawns to angry gods used in their power plays against one another,” Logan finished with a small growl, “Hades won’t stop until Persephone is destroyed. He ordered me to come out here and find you before destroying her myself. He’s far from enamored with her. He wants her dead as he believes her to be a false goddess.”

“She isn’t one to be taken down with ease,” Scott cautioned him, “Hades is a fool to underestimate her. She’s very powerful and…”

“…possessive as hell in thinking that her man is her enemy and that mine is her betrothed,” Logan’s anger revealed itself in remembering the jealousy he’d felt in seeing Persephone claim ownership over Logan.

“We aren’t betrothed. It was a poor word choice on my end before,” Scott insisted as he picked up on Logan’s jealousy, “She has taken to me, yes, but…”

“She plans to sacrifice you to her ruler after this is all over,” Logan blurted out thinking about the things Hades had shared with him in their brief encounter, “She plans to marry you, use you up for her own purposes and then sacrifice you as a gift for her great victory.”

“I don’t believe that. If Hades is as full of hate as you say he is, then he would undoubtedly stop at nothing to make you Persephone’s enemy,” Scott reminded him with a frown.

“Watching her claim ownership on you like that after she hurt you is reason enough for me to destroy her,” Logan practically snarled at the thought.

“Despite what you witnessed earlier tonight Persephone has been very gracious to me and…” Scott attempted to argue with him.

“She hasn’t touched you like I have Slim.”

“No one has ever touched me the way you do Logan,” Scott’s flirted breaking away from the seriousness of the moment, “You do realize that, don’t you? Even with my history, there is something special about us that…”

“That’s not the point Slim,” Logan argued with him further, “Who wouldn’t keep you as close as she has and not try to take advantage of the situation?”

“Logan…” Scott pinched his lips together again.

“Don’t you think that speaks volumes about what she’s trying to do here?” Logan questioned reaching out to place his hand over Scott’s thigh. Looking down at the perfect flesh before him, Logan couldn’t help, but trace his index finger up over Scott’s inner thigh coming dangerously close to the part of him that was still barely covered beneath the sheet, “She might be a goddess, but even a goddess has her limitations about how much restraint she shows with a man like you. The fact that she refuses to give in to temptation tells me that she is planning something far darker than you realize. How many times have we heard stories in mythology about virgin sacrifices to appease gods where an innocent victim is ripped from the world?”

“I’m not a virgin or at risk of being a virgin sacrifice Logan,” Scott wrinkled his nose at him disapprovingly before offering up a small laugh. He tilted his head to the side, involuntarily parting his legs further when Logan’s fingers skimmed underneath the sheet to squeeze at the apex of his leg, stretching out to caress Scott intimately, “Even Persephone knows that considering…”

“How does she know that?” Logan questioned feeling jealousy spike deep from within when he released his grip on Scott’s manhood.

“Because I told her I was a widower,” Scott answered readily reaching down to place his hand over Logan’s beneath the sheet. With a slow stroke of Scott’s index finger over the top of Logan’s palm, he gently encouraged Logan to reach out and touch him once again. With a slight hesitation, Logan finally complied curling his fingers around Scott’s softened length, “I couldn’t remember much about who I was, but I’d remembered that my wife was taken from me by a cosmic force and…”

“She believed that you were a gift from the gods given your battle with the Phoenix,” Logan deduced watching Scott nod accordingly. Arching his head back, Scott released a low, rumble of a moan as Logan continued to touch him all the while caught up in their conversation.

“I didn’t remember every detail, but as we combed over the pieces of my memory that I could recall, she was drawn to me—believing that I was sent here to help her win the war and…” Scott admitted readily panting when Logan’s grip constricted causing desire to return to him once again. Reaching out to the pillow behind him Scott leaned back further, sliding his legs apart and simply embracing the sweet seduction Logan’s fingers around him provided in their calm before the storm.

“She thought you were here to win her war,” Logan paused giving Scott a long, complete once over. His gaze lingered to Scott’s mouth, to the luscious lips he’d wanted to lose himself within as his fingers resumed in teasing Scott beneath the sheet, “Though how did you convince her of your powers if you were left without your visor? You must’ve been uneasy about using your powers without any kind of control or restraint behind them.”

“I guess, I just trusted myself enough to know what I was capable of,” Scott shrugged remembering all he’d encountered in his time on the island. He arched his head back further, involuntarily pushing his hips up off the bed. Logan’s fingers continued to surround him sliding up and down, twisting and teasing until Scott’s breath caught in the back of his throat. His skin grew flushed, his lips parting when Logan shifted his position on the bed to watch his every response. Wordlessly Scott reached down to grip tighter on Logan’s wrist, to coax him to shift his pace to force a reaction out of Scott faster than Logan was interested in doing.

“Slim…” Logan’s voice held warning when he ceased movement over Scott’s body. Scott’s brow creased with tension, his body tightening up as Logan released him. Instead of continuing Logan simply pulled at the sheet, sliding it away from Scott’s body to reveal the full, throbbing arousal before him. Knowing it was all for him, Logan couldn’t help, but smile resuming in his movements upon Scott’s urging.

Moaning Scott leaned back further on the bed guiding Logan in over him, coaxing Logan to reposition himself between Scott’s thighs. Without having to be asked, Logan replaced his fingers with his lips dipping down to brush the rough edge of his tongue over the underside of Scott’s growing manhood. With the first flick of his tongue Scott’s fingers were embedded in Logan’s hair, guiding Logan over him in a desperate plea for more stimulation. When Logan swallowed him down, Scott whimpered and twisted pushing his hips up just enough to sink further into the warmth of Logan’s mouth. His fingers brushed through Logan’s wild, dark hair with fingertips gently massaging Logan’s skin just beneath the edge of his hairline. With the gentle encouragement Logan picked up the pace taking his time to focus on Scott’s hotspots as the conversation they had been having seemed secondary to claiming Scott as his own.

Scott moaned dragging his nails down over Logan’s shoulders, lightly scratching at Logan’s spine when Logan continued to please him with his lips and tongue. With a moan Scott explained further, “With Persephone I kept pushing myself to be what she needed without fully unleashing all of the power inside of me…”

“And the celibacy thing?” Logan questioned pushing up on his elbows. He tilted his head upward watching the way that Scott’s face was twisted with desire. He’d been biting down on his bottom lip, his skin glistening in the moonlight as he stroked the side of Logan’s face. It was enough to cause the inner beast to emerge from within taking Logan from calm to jealousy in remembering the way that Persephone looked at Scott.

“I told her that sex would dampen my powers,” Scott confessed as a color rose in his features. His thumb skimmed over Logan’s lips through the darkness, gently pressing over them in a slow encouragement when Scott’s grin expanded, “I said that the gods had blessed me with my powers, but that as soon as I started to deviate from Athena’s plan we could face dire consequences.”

“So, you made sure that you and she weren’t…?” Logan’s sigh of relief was perhaps too loud as he reached out to Scott’s arousal once again. Without having to be asked, Logan dipped forward allowing Scott to readily slide into his mouth, to give Logan the opportunity to please him without hesitation.

“Never,” Scott confessed when Logan rewarded him with more attention, doting on him in ways that caused Scott to squirm and twist beneath Logan on the bed.

With each well-planned lick and expert caress, Logan found that Scott was writhing beneath him, offering himself over to temptation. With hands roaming over Logan’s shoulders, pressing and squeezing, Scott shuddered and shook, whimpering out loud until finally the world exploded from within Scott causing him to lose control completely caught up in the warmth of Logan’s mouth surrounding him. With a whimper and a moan Scott tugged at Logan’s thick dark hair, gripping onto him as if Logan was the key to anchoring him to everything in the world around them. His breaths were urgent, body trembling as he spilled himself inside of Logan repeatedly until he fell against the mattress weightless in Logan’s grasp.

Long quiet moments passed between them as Scott came down from the heavens keeping his fingers of one hand in Logan’s hair, while the other gently massaged over Logan’s shoulder. With a small sigh, Logan pressed a kiss over Scott’s hip, wanting to savor every second of the man beneath him. The warmth of desire radiated off Scott’s skin as he held Logan, keeping them connected long after Logan had driven him to temptation all over again. With a tender curl of Scott’s index finger over Logan’s shoulder, Logan realized that Scott was encouraging an embrace and coaxing Logan to slide up over his lean, muscular form.

“I might’ve lost myself, but a part of me told me that there was something more out there,” Scott confessed arching up off the bed and against Logan’s strong, powerful chest. As Logan twisted onto his side, taking Scott with him when he lay back on the bed, Scott gently massaged the dark hair over Logan’s muscled flesh, imprinting his scent over Logan with the touch.

“And now here we are,” Logan replied kissing the top of Scott’s head, “trapped in the middle of a war with no idea how to seek out Atlas while Hades and Persephone rip one another apart.”

“I suppose now that they want to kill each other we couldn’t suggest a meeting of the minds to talk things over,” Scott sighed snuggling in over Logan despite himself.

“A blind date might work. All that untapped rage and sexual energy could lead to hate sex, which always proves to work in the most difficult of situations. It could bring them together again,” Logan teased curling his arm around Scott’s waist, “I mean if you think about it, we didn’t quite have it all figured out when I arrived. You didn’t know who you are, but when you realized what I was to you…”

“…it all came rushing back to me,” Scott finished with a small sigh, “but what worked for us is different than what would work for them.”

“How so?” Logan couldn’t help, but question.

“Our reality existed outside of this construct. What we shared before was very real in the outside world, but with Hades and Persephone,” Scott hesitated weighing out their options as they lay together on the center of the bed, “For all we know they never shared that pivotal moment where he found himself faced with love at first sight. She was never abducted and…”

“…the seasons will never change,” Logan noted thinking about what he’d witnessed in the gardens with Demeter, “Everything will remain the same as they work to destroy one another in this place that…”

“Sanja is the key, but if this Atlas you speak of is holding him hostage somewhere,” Scott sighed sliding his fingers over Logan’s abdomen in a tender press, “then there is no telling how we can reach him and…”

“What does Sanja look like?” Logan couldn’t help, but question thinking about the things Scott was sharing with him.

“He’s eight year’s old, but he looks a bit younger. He’s small for his age, but quite powerful,” Scott explained readily, “Dark hair and dark eyes. Bronzed skin and…”

“A sparkle in his eyes when he speaks,” Logan finished for him, “Dimples and a birthmark on his right cheek…”

“…just beside his right nostril,” Scott pushed up from the embrace Logan held him in, “Logan have you seen him here?”

“When I first arrived on the beach there was a battle taking place,” Logan offered up thinking about his shocking arrival on the island.

“Against Poseidon’s monster,” Scott noted.

“Right, but after,” Logan paused remembering his earlier journey, “Atlas had me in a lab. He had me restrained to a chair where he came in boasting about his collection and…”

“What?”

“The guy was a real prick Slim. He said that you were the most popular part of his collection before he acquired me,” Logan divulged with a shudder in thinking about the man he’d crossed when he first arrived on the island, “There’s something not right about him Slim. He’s manipulative and vile. He has no intention of ever letting us leave and then when I argued with him, well, he gassed me until I passed out and I ended up back on the beach again.”

“After the battle?” Scott questioned rubbing his palm over the center of Logan’s chest. His index finger curled over the short, dark strands taking in their warmth as a cool breeze swept in through the window opening to the bedroom Logan was in.

“That’s right. I woke up with water in my lungs and a small boy at my side speaking with me about the battle right until the point where Charon arrived and took me into the Underworld to see his ruler,” Logan confessed curling his arm tighter around Scott. He pressed a kiss over the top of Scott’s head savoring the warmth of Scott over him, simply enveloping him in the connection they’d shared with one another. With palms sliding down over Scott’s spine, Logan offered up a rough squeeze, unable to resist trying to focus on the reality that surrounded him in having Scott with him again.

“Hey,” Scott questioned raising his head up when Logan pinched at his bottom, “What was that for?”

“Just making sure I’m not imagining it,” Logan smirked noticing the color that filled Scott’s flushed features.

“Aren’t I supposed to be the one to pinch you to make sure you’re not dreaming?” Scott questioned with a hint of a frown creeping over the corners of his lips.

“Maybe,” Logan shrugged, “Maybe not, but I just couldn’t resist touching you again. Knowing that you’re here…”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Scott promised repositioning himself over Logan, “Although if we don’t find Sanja, then neither one of us are going anywhere again.”

“He spoke to me when I woke up Slim,” Logan explained again, “He was nervous, but he spoke to me…”

“On the beach?”

“That’s right,” Logan nodded realizing that Scott couldn’t see his movement, “The boy I spoke with fits the description you offered to the last detail.”

“Then you saw Sanja, which means that he is here,” Scott’s voice carried hope with it when the weight of Logan’s words carried over him.

“He was when I woke up on the beach,” Logan repeated thinking about the young boy he’d encountered, “but when Charon showed up, he took off without warning. He’s the one who told me about the war between the gods. He seemed quite concerned about what was happening when I spoke with him, but then when he split…”

“He must’ve been instructed by Atlas to stay far from the war so that he couldn’t realize what was happening. If he was somehow manipulated into creating this world, then the person responsible for that would undoubtedly want him to steer clear of any sign of the truth around him.”

“I can’t blame the boy for being afraid Slim,” Logan noted with a frown, “If things are as intense around here as they were when that monster rose from the water, then…”

“That was nothing compared to most of the battles around here. Poseidon’s beast was small in comparison to the violence we’ve seen and…” Scott stopped himself when concern carried over his handsome features.

“What?” Logan asked feeling Scott tense up above him.

“Nothing. We just must find him Logan,” Scott explained urgently when the color drained from his face, “If he’s here in this world, then he’s the key to our getting home. He shouldn’t be wrapped up in all of this because he’s just a boy. The things that have been happening around us since my arrival are beyond chaotic. The violence that surrounds this war…”

“He seems like he’s good at hiding Slim,” Logan replied thinking about the boy he’d briefly encountered.

“If anything should happen to him while he’s here in this world,” Scott hesitated when the weight of his words took their toll upon him, “Then we’re going to be stuck here forever.”

“You mean?” Logan’s eyes widened with surprise.

“As long as Sanja is alive this construct can exist. It can grow and evolve with his thoughts, but should he be taken out of the equation…” Scott began with a somber expression on his face.

“…then this is it for us,” Logan frowned thinking about the world he’d walked into, “So long to modern conveniences and…”

“We’ll be trapped here forever as prisoners to Atlas and whatever plans he has for us,” Scott finished with a newfound determination carrying over him, “Sanja’s the only person who can truly bring an end to this war should we be able to reach him before Atlas claims ultimate control over him.”

“That’s a pretty tall task Slim. You have no idea what kind of whack job this Atlas guy is,” Logan frowned with recall, “He’s got his own inner god complex and…”

“The longer we hesitate, the more likely it is that we are going to end up destroyed by this war between Hades and Persephone,” Scott deduced with a shudder, “Atlas has no idea what he’s unleashed in manipulating Sanja’s powers. This war will only end in death and…”

“It’s not that simple Slim. With Hades breathing down my neck encouraging me to kill Persephone, we aren’t going to win us any favors if I keep her alive,” Logan confessed thinking about the god he’d crossed paths with on his journey to Scott, “He sent me here to end this war for him in his way and…”

“You can’t destroy her,” Scott argued with him.

“Trust me the idea is tempting, but…” Logan began again remembering the way that Persephone was attached to Scott.

“You can’t,” Scott reminded him with a shake of his head. He sat upright pulling away from Logan when the moonlight spilled into the bedroom illuminating their intimate conversation with one another, “Sanja is controlling this, but he doesn’t realize the weight of his actions. Should you be successful in doing what Hades asked and eliminating Persephone, then everything as we know it would come crashing down in this world. To do so would cause this construct to collapse from within.”

“How so? If this isn’t real, Slim, then how could it…?”

“It’s hard to explain, but there’s a thin line between what was and what is,” Scott answered readily, “Even if in this world Hades and Persephone haven’t found one another and become the lovers they were meant to be, the fact to the matter is that one can’t exist without the other. Her death would signal a terrible resolution to this world. Everything would be set off balance and it could cause our own world to collapse ending life as we know it and…”

“Wait a second,” Logan frowned, “How did our world get involved in this when…?”

“You found your way here somehow,” Scott reminded him pointedly, “which means on some level this world exists as a part of our world otherwise the door wouldn’t be open. If there wasn’t a link, then you wouldn’t have been able to find me.”

“I was given an invitation to Elysium,” Logan confessed thinking about his journey to the place where he’d found Scott, “At the time I thought it was just some exclusive island for the filthy rich and…”

“How did you come to that conclusion when you received the invitation?” Scott questioned twisting over Logan once again, “Does anyone know about the existence of Elysium?”

“No,” Logan shook his head firmly before another thought carried over him, “wait, no. Emma knows.”

“Emma knows?” Scott’s brow creased with concern, “What does she know exactly?”

“That Elysium is a place where the elite come to live out secret desires the rest of the world are exempt from,” Logan answered readily, “She did a little digging around and some of her connections were aware of its existence and…”

“That means it touched our world as well,” Scott shifted on the bed again. Sitting upright, he kicked his legs over the side of the bed before standing up and pacing around the room. With quiet contemplation he moved back and forth beside the foot of the bed leaving Logan to watch him in his movements.

“So, you’re saying what then? That because Emma knows about it, things are more complicated?” Logan couldn’t help, but question as the moonlight illuminated Scott’s smooth skin leaving him with a momentary distraction in focusing on his lover.

“Precisely,” Scott snapped his fingers together. He stopped moving long enough to turn towards the bed again and let out an emphatic breath, “What else did you tell Emma about this?”

“She told me more about it after I asked,” Logan shrugged his shoulders, “I showed her the invitation before I left, and she worked to gather intel. Her connection at Stark Industries…”

“You mean Tony,” Scott’s lips pinched together with a frown.

“Yeah Tony,” Logan nodded rubbing the top of his head when Scott’s face twisted with agitation, “It was an extreme situation and she really didn’t have a choice about…”

“I’m not upset about her reaching out to Tony,” Scott concluded resuming in his pacing once again, “It’s just that the more people that know about this, the more embedded this world becomes integrated into ours.”

“Which means what exactly?” Logan questioned with a frown.

“That sooner or later this will become the reality,” Scott explained tilting his head towards the window as if he could feel the weight of the moonlight upon him, “Our realities will no longer coexist as they will ultimately meld into one universe and…”

“Everyone will be returning to this time and place where war is all around us,” Logan realized when Scott turned to him once again.

“If this battle between Hades and Persephone continues to wage on as it has been thus far, then our world will fall victim to their wrath. Even with powers and abilities, our colleagues won’t be able to take down gods and…”

“We should do what exactly?” Logan questioned with a crease in his brow, “Get Hades and Persephone couples therapy and hope it works out or let this world continue until we are left without any place to return to?”

“If Atlas is forcing his hand on doing all of this,” Scott decided, “then it is imperative that we get to Sanja somehow.”

“Right now, we aren’t even sure where we would find him Slim,” Logan reminded him pointedly, “Sure I saw him on the beach, but if Atlas is pulling his strings like you say…”

“Sanja has the ability to not only shape and create his own universe, but to tear ours apart with minimal effort,” Scott informed Logan with a sudden seriousness, “The boy’s gifts are stronger than any other mutant we’ve ever encountered before now. The things that he’s capable of…”

“…are why Chuck sent you looking for him in the first place,” Logan finished knowingly.

“Having that kind of power makes him not only a threat to himself, but to the worlds around him,” Scott confessed worriedly before making his way over to Logan’s side of the bed. He sat down on the edge, perched near Logan when a sigh spilled over his lips, “The boy has no idea just how strong he is, but in the hands of the wrong person…”

“Like Atlas,” Logan commented reaching out to place his hand on Scott’s thigh.

“He could be used to end life as we know it,” Scott noted with a tiny shudder when he reached down to squeeze Logan’s fingers over his bare skin, “If he’s pushed in the wrong direction…”

“Then it won’t matter how this war ends. All that will exist for us…” Logan’s jaw dropped when he felt an incredible weight on his shoulders with Scott’s declaration.

“…is a black hole of nothingness that will destroy everything we’ve ever cared about,” Scott finished solemnly as Logan felt the weight of the mission that Charles had put upon them in sending Scott off to find the boy.

“So, what now?” Logan questioned after a long period of silence.

“We save Sanja from Atlas,” Scott answered in a firm, neutral tone.

“And after?” Logan couldn’t help but ask wondering what was truly on Scott’s mind about the mission he’d been on.

“He isn’t safe with us,” Scott explained guiltily turning his head away from his lover to face the window once again, “I knew that when we’d discovered him, but at the same time I wanted to believe in Charles and his ideals for the world. I wanted to think that he could help the boy like he’d helped me all those years ago, but…”

“You aren’t so convinced,” Logan watched as Scott turned to him once again revealing that the color drained from Scott’s features.

“When the man reached out to me at the hotel, I’d been seeking out an alternative method of extraction,” Scott paused weighing out his thoughts, “I’d found myself at a pivotal moment where the next move I made would define our future and…”

“You were afraid of what could happen should you bring the boy back to the school with you,” Logan noted with a small frown, “You weren’t convinced Chuck could help him.”

“I was afraid of what he would do when he realized that any control that he attempted to exert upon the boy would only end up in chaos,” Scott divulged quietly. He squeezed at Logan’s fingers over his thigh again seemingly imprinting the warmth of Logan’s touch in his grasp, “To press upon the boy’s mind the kind of chains he’d placed upon mine through the years…”

“…would undoubtedly drive the boy to insanity,” Logan finished knowingly when Scott tilted his head up to reveal his troubled expression to Logan, “You were afraid for the boy’s future considering that…”

“Charles would do everything in his power to try to keep the boy safe, but in bringing him back to the school, it would leave Charles with so many options before…”

“Before what?” Logan questioned feeling an overwhelming sense of dread overtaking Scott’s posture, “Slim?”

“I couldn’t allow the boy to return with us. I couldn’t put him in the kind of danger that our home could provide him with. He might find a structure, but given how strong he is…”

“You feared that Charles would have no choice, but to destroy him,” Logan paused taking in Scott’s words.

“He’s young so his powers aren’t fully developed. You can see what he can do with them already and should they evolve as he ages…” Scott continued to explain when the missing pieces began to filter back into his subconscious.

“You’re thinking about what happened when you lost control,” Logan replied guiltily when the ghost of their tortured past hung in the room between them as a tarnish on their blossoming relationship, “About the things Chuck reigned down upon you when the Phoenix took control and…”

“The boy deserves better than what I endured,” Scott answered readily, “He’s a bright child with a good heart. His powers could be used for so many good things, but if they were corrupted even the slightest bit…”

“Then you fear for what could happen to the world around him,” Logan contemplated Scott’s words. Without hesitation Logan reached out, tugging on Scott’s arm and coaxing Scott fully into his arms again.

“You’ve seen what he’s done already with this world,” Scott whispered with a tiny shudder as Logan held him.

“You’re terrified to see where this can take him, aren’t you?” Logan questioned wrapping his arms around Scott tightly.

“I’m afraid for his future,” Scott placed his head over the center of Logan’s chest, “He’s just a boy unknowingly in a world that he created to escape the pain inside of him. He’s been manipulated by an evil man who…”

“…is undoubtedly using this to see just how far he can push the kid’s limits before he forces the kid into doing something far worse,” Logan finished knowingly.

“We have to convince Sanja to make things right in this world and then after…” Scott whispered when the breeze carried over them once again bringing them back to the reality of their surroundings in sneaking around Persephone’s domain with one another embracing their forbidden longings with one another.

“What?” Logan questioned worriedly.

“We find Atlas and we deal with him before there’s no more turning back Logan. The longer this goes on, the harder it will be to get back to reality,” Scott’s voice darkened with concern for the dire situation they were in, “People will suffer and we…”

“What?” Logan questioned involuntarily curling his bicep around Scott tighter than before.

“Persephone will kill us if she knows about what we are up to with one another,” Scott spoke up in a panic when the weight of their actions came crashing down upon him. He attempted to detangle himself from Logan’s embrace, but Logan only held him tighter.

“Slim don’t,” Logan pleaded gripping Scott tighter than before. Kissing the top of Scott’s head, Logan couldn’t help, but take in the scent of Scott’s fear taking them from their quiet discussion to a place where danger surrounded their every action.

“She’s suspicious about anyone who tries to get too close to me,” Scott confessed quietly as Logan held him, “When she found you in the temple earlier…”

“I think I diffused the situation as best as I could…well, before she was angry with you like that,” Logan replied touching the side of Scott’s face, “When I told her that I was a god…”

“Sooner or later she’ll see through that illusion and when she does…” Scott frowned again.

“She won’t,” Logan promised placing a kiss over the top of Scott’s head, “She won’t have any idea of what’s happening until we’re able to take control and turn this around to what it is supposed to be.”

“Sanja is the only person who can do that,” Scott reminded him somberly, “and as long as Atlas keeps him hidden from the rest of the world, then we’re stuck in this world—in this construct with roles to play that…”

“I’m not going to let her use you as a pawn in her war,” Logan argued further. Watching the crease in Scott’s brow, Logan could feel tension coiling over his own shoulders at the thought of Scott being forced to placate the goddess that had taken to him, “nor am I going to allow her to pull you into her bed to replace the husband that fate has stolen from her.”

“I already told you that…” Scott opened his mouth in protest.

“She desires you,” Logan cut him off abruptly, “I could smell it in the air that surrounded us in the temple. She’s going to find a way to convince you to give yourself to her and…”

“That’s not going to happen,” Scott insisted with a shake of his head, “I already told you that I convinced her that…”

“Athena’s blessing won’t be enough to keep her from taking you into her bed should the mood arise. Lust and desire are as powerful as the promise of victory and…” Logan continued to argue further.

“She wants to win this war. Destroying Hades is her mission and…”

“The longer she has you at her side, the easier it will be for her to fall into distraction,” Logan sighed sliding his large palm down over the curve of Scott’s ass, “You are a temptation that one can only resist for so long before…”

“Her goals extend beyond becoming my lover,” Scott wrinkled his nose at the thought, “Even if she wished things were different, this war is everything to her. Once she is victorious that is another matter, but should she find out about us before that point in time, she will see our actions as an act of mutiny leaving her with no choice, but to destroy us both.”

“Then we end this before it gets to that point,” Logan decided with a scowl, “We leave tonight.”

“If we do that, she will have no choice, but to hunt us down. She will do far worse to the both of us than what she did to me today. We can’t allow that to happen,” Scott dismissed the thought when Logan’s arms surround him tighter than before, “We must be smart about this. We can’t keep running around in hiding like this. We have to…”

“I’m not letting you go back to be her lapdog,” Logan argued further. “I refuse to let you walk out of here to go back to what you were before I arrived. If you think for a second that…”

“We find Sanja,” Scott interrupted touching the center of Logan’s chest, “If we can locate where Atlas has him trapped in this world, then we can find a way to make things right again.”

“How do we do that when Persephone wants to keep you at her side?”

“We tell her that you’ve come to train me,” Scott decided weighing out his options, “That we are going to work together to increase my powers and help her push forward in the war. We convince her that you can enhance my gifts and…”

“Then we run away?” Logan questioned encouragingly.

“It won’t be that easy,” Scott shook his head dismissively, “but we can find a way to push for more time to figure this out while we reach out and find Sanja during our training time.”

“So, you’re planning on lying to her in the hopes that she believes we are working together to fight for her cause?” Logan asked arching a curious brow.

“It could be the key to buying the time we need to get things on track again,” Scott nodded encouragingly, “If we can go back to where you had a run in with Sanja and track him down from that point, then we can fix this and…”

“What happens if we can’t find him?” Logan couldn’t help, but question when the weight of Scott’s words carried over him.

“We will find him,” Scott replied with an attempt at certainty, but there just beneath the surface, Logan could hear the hint of faltering in his tone. He was afraid—far more concerned than he openly cared to admit as Logan held him tighter than before.

“I know we will,” Logan promised kissing the top of Scott’s head once again.

“Until then we may have to keep our distance from one another,” Scott sighed stiffening against Logan’s embrace.

“Nope. That doesn’t work for me,” Logan constricted his hold on Scott.

“We don’t have a choice. If we are going to be convincing in our approach, then we’re going to have to keep away from one another unless it is in training time when…” Scott began to twist over Logan again.

“If you think for one second that I’m about to let you walk out of here tonight and go back to her expectations for you without a fight, then you’re dead wrong,” Logan argued flipping Scott down onto the mattress beneath him. With a tender brush of his fingers against the side of Scott’s face, he let out a long, desperate sigh, “I’ve waited far too long to hold you in my arms again, so you walking out of here without a fight isn’t happening.”

“We both know that I can’t stay tonight. As much as I wish I could, there will be guards doing their rounds in a few hours and…” Scott began to explain only to be met by the weight of Logan’s kiss upon him silencing his protests.

“Stay,” Logan pleaded as their lips parted once again, “If not all night, then for a little while longer.”

“Logan I…” Scott sighed.

“It’s been over two months since I’ve held you in my arms Slim. Please,” Logan’s thumb brushed over Scott’s plump lower lip, “give me tonight. If the world as we know it is about to implode upon us, then at least give me something to remember.”

“Logan,” Scott opened his mouth to protest before nodding in resignation, “fine. I’ll stay a little bit longer.

“That’s all the encouragement I need,” Logan promised giving into another long, leisurely kiss when it became painfully clear that things were about to get much more difficult from here on out for them on their road back home again.


	4. Chapter 4

Warm rays of sunlight poured into the bedroom causing Logan to awaken with a gasp. He sat upright struggling to remember where he was when he took in the scent of Scott over the sheets that surrounded him. Although the side of the bed Scott had been on the previous evening was now cold in his absence, his presence still lingered there in the way the air held onto his memory. Closing his eyes Logan thought back to their time together, to the way they’d made love as if it could be their last time once the weight of their situation took its toll upon them. Now stretched out beneath the thin sheet and thinking about the man he loved, Logan found himself at a crossroads remembering the things that were still ahead for him and Scott as they fought to regain control of their surroundings.

“I take it you aren’t an early riser,” Demeter’s voice pulled Logan from his thoughts long enough for him to reopen his eyes and discover the goddess standing in the doorway to his room, “Here I thought you’d be out training with the others on such a glorious morning.”

“I overindulged a bit too much last night,” Logan replied pulling himself up to a seated position. He reached for the sheet pulling it over his lap in an attempt at modesty as he thought about the things that he’d learned from Scott the night before, “Dionysus blessed me perhaps a little too much nectar in our celebration.”

“I don’t know about that,” Demeter’s eyes swept over the lines of Logan’s body, making no mistake about her intentions when she crossed the room to stand at the foot of his bed, “I awakened alone in my room, which proves perhaps the celebration wasn’t all it was meant to be.”

“They say good things come to those who wait,” Logan shrugged remembering his encounter with Scott the previous evening in his bed. With the scent of his lover around him, Logan couldn’t help, but smile savoring the tantalizing secret he carried with him.

“A goddess does not take too well to waiting,” Demeter announced climbing in over him on the bed. Without hesitation, she pressed her long, slender fingers into Logan’s chest sending him down onto the mattress with a renewed hunger. Despite her petite frame, she was strong—far stronger than Logan had anticipated when she hovered over him, allowing her hair to tickle the side of his face when she watched him expectantly, “It is best not to leave a goddess disappointed.”

“I have no intentions of disappointing you,” Logan promised reaching out to touch the side of her face. He took in a small breath remembering his night with Scott when he forced a smile hoping like hell that he could appease the hungry goddess above him, “but I promised your daughter that I would work to train her champion this morning.”

“I’m sure he can wait a bit longer seeing as you’re already running behind in your instruction,” Demeter leaned in closer to him, her crimson colored lips hovering just above his, “You belong to me this morning…”

“As tempting as that is,” Logan arched up off the pillow to bring his lips even closer to hers. He could feel the warmth of her breath over his weighing in upon him. With a sigh, he took in the scent of her perfume that came off as the perfect blend of nectar and honey, but even with her curves above him, his mind took him back to Scott sprawled out beneath him in the same bed caught up in the fire and temptation that existed between only them. With that thought in mind, Logan expelled a sharp breath curling his arm around Demeter’s waist to flip her onto the mattress beneath him. His movement excited her, causing her to pull him in over her with her thighs wrapping around his bare hips hoping to draw him in further to her desire, but much to her dismay Logan pulled back detangling himself from her arms, “I don’t wish to risk Persephone’s wrath this early on. She already distrusts me.”

“She distrusts most men,” Demeter frowned stretching out further across the bed when Logan pulled himself over the edge to stand upright. Shaking her head, she extended her arms out across the sheet when her eyes focused on Logan, watching him intently, “She’s never really bonded with a man before her champion entered her life.”

“Is that right?” Logan questioned turning around to face her again. Her lips were curved upward in the beginnings of a mischievous grin, her mouth parted in invitation as she sat upright, allowing her gown to fall from her shoulder to reveal her creamy, smooth skin.

She nodded, “Cyclops has proven to be quite the specimen of man held up to the highest standards of the gods. Even without his sight, he has been blessed by the heavens. My daughter would be a fool not to notice the gifts he’s had bestowed upon him by Athena.”

“He’s quite powerful,” Logan answered stiffly in thinking about his lover at the mercy of the angry goddess he’d been sent to destroy.

“It isn’t just his powers,” Demeter licked her lips as she trailed her index finger over the top of her gown highlighting the curve of her breasts to entice Logan. She sat up straighter parting her legs and twisting to pull the material of her gown up over her thighs in a blatant attempt at capturing his attention, “After last night’s celebration, she’s decided that she no longer wishes to hold back on exploring their union.”

“What do you mean?” Logan couldn’t help, but frown watching as Demeter’s grin expanded further.

“With my encouragement, I suggested that she stop denying herself that which she truly desires,” Demeter continued on with a suggestive wave of her hand in the air, “My daughter has craved him for far too long to keep denying that which drives her on in this war. After their spat last night, it only made sense that she found a more productive way to deal with his insubordination.”

“How so?” Logan fought to suppress the frown that tugged over the corners of his lips.

“She’d taken to lashing him for his defiance, but after I had a very detailed conversation with her about her potential lover’s worth, she discovered that there is more pleasure to be uncovered with a sensual punishment,” Demeter boasted enthusiastically, “After all a man filled with desire is one more readily to be tamed.”

“And she wishes to tame him?” Logan questioned stiffly.

“Indeed,” she nodded, “Earlier this morning she made her way to the temple and sought out Hera’s blessing to push forward in their matrimonial ceremony.”

“You mean she’s attempting to…” Logan’s eyes widened with surprise.

“Take Cyclops on as her husband. Should Hera prove to side in my daughter’s favor against that abomination Hades after his role in the disappearance of Zeus, then before this war is over Persephone and Cyclops will be bound to one another, stronger than they were before Hera’s blessing,” Demeter explained giddily. She twisted around on the bed, pulling herself up to stand before Logan with a triumphant smirk, “Our victory will all, but be assured with Hera’s blessing. Once Persephone and Cyclops are wed, then there will be no turning back. This war will turn in our favor.”

“Right,” Logan fought to contain the frown that carried over him. Turning away from Demeter, he attempted to still the rage and jealousy that consumed him. He walked over to the window looking out onto the courtyard to see the soldiers working at homing in on their skills for an impending battle. Clearing his throat, he tried to stay focused when he felt Demeter touch his shoulder. She moved in from behind him pressing herself against his bare spine when Logan’s anger bristled from within. Unable to shake the rage bubbling beneath the surface, he thought of his promise to Hades wondering if he could keep his word to Scott to do no harm to Persephone until they were able to find Sanja. However, thinking about the idea of Scott being forced to marry Persephone only served to further enrage Logan.

“Together they will be unstoppable,” Demeter boasted bringing her arms around Logan’s thick, muscular waist. She leaned in closer brushing her soft curves up against Logan when he was suddenly very aware of the fact that she was naked behind him.

“Demeter,” he spoke her name with a gasp, attempting to twist out of her embrace when her blatant flirting took him by surprise. Turning around to face her, he felt her arms snake around his neck. Her eyes were filled with hunger and determination when she coiled her fingers through Logan’s wild hair coaxing him to her in an urgent kiss. At first Logan pushed his hands up attempting to resist her, but soon the taste of her lips over his weaved a spell over him, causing him to open himself to temptation. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her slender waist, unable to refrain from the lure of enchantment she’d pushed upon him in order to give into the sweet intoxication of the taste of her. She was so different from anyone he’d ever encountered, yet foreign to everything he knew as her palms flattened out over his shoulders, sliding over his bare chest and spreading a soothing warmth over his skin. It was as if his actions were being propelled by a force that was no longer his own with her pulling the strings on him coaxing him to surrender to her desire.

“Logan we’re going to need to get a start on things this morning if we want to make any ground before nightfall…” Scott’s voice interrupted causing Logan to break away from the spell Demeter had put upon him.

With a shudder Logan leapt back attempting to shake the power Demeter had over him, but as he looked over to where Scott was standing in the doorway before him with a makeshift visor over his eyes, he realized the damage had already done. The blindfold had been replaced by what appeared to be a version of ruby quartz embedded in a golden, glimmering metal made from the gods. However, it was the scowl on Scott’s face that caused Logan’s heart to sink at his lover’s disappointment.

“We were just…” Logan stammered struggling to make sense of what had happened to him when Scott stood before him taking in Logan’s betrayal.

“Catching up with one another this morning after a long night apart,” Demeter explained wrapping her arms around Logan’s shoulders to draw him into an embrace. She laughed tossing her long auburn colored hair back over her shoulder before issuing Scott a salacious smirk, “You know how it is when love is fresh and new.”

“Right,” Scott spoke up behind gritted teeth. His face was suddenly devoid of all expression, revealing nothing behind his neutral tone when Logan detangled himself from Demeter’s arms.

“Slim, we weren’t…” Logan attempted to explain himself, to say something to diffuse the situation when he looked between Scott and the woman who could blow them out of the water should he not be cool in the situation. Opting to take a different approach, Logan ignored the situation at hand in order to motion to the visor on Scott’s face, “That’s new, isn’t it?”

“Hera offered it to Persephone as a token of her appreciation,” Scott answered in a distanced tone, “She took Persephone’s council on my powers and the gods presented Persephone with a token of their appreciation.”

“Then are we to assume that Hera has approved of your union now that she’s bestowed such a gift upon you?” Demeter questioned snuggling up against Logan.

“Indeed, she has taken to our side in this war,” Scott nodded turning his attention to his mother-in-law to be, “She has blessed our union and our ceremony is to take place tomorrow at sunset.”

“So, then you’re saying that…” Logan’s jaw dropped when the weight of the new situation hung heavy over him, “You and Persephone…”

“Are going to be married,” Demeter finally released Logan long enough to clap her hands together enthusiastically. Unashamed of her nudity she moved through the room with a renewed energy and excitement bristling in the air surrounding her, “The gods must be quite pleased with your union to offer up such a blessing upon us all.”

“Indeed,” Scott mouthed tilting his head in Logan’s direction once again. His face was blank, but there was something in his tone that caused Logan to question just what damage had been done in Demeter’s arrival.

“Then a celebration is in order,” Demeter blurted out excitedly. She walked over to Scott pulling him into a tight embrace, “My daughter must be elated in having been delivered such wonderful news.”

“She’s going over preparations for the ceremony with her council,” Scott answered keeping his arms down at his sides as the naked goddess hugged him tighter than before. His face never turned away from Logan, never backed down from the moment between them as Demeter pulled away from him. She began to move around the room saying things to reflect her enthusiasm, but they were lost on Logan as Scott stood frozen watching him with a hint of contempt in his features.

“I must go see her at once,” Demeter announced reaching for her gown and pulling it up over her body. She bounced around the room, rushing over to kiss Logan on the cheek before drawing back, “Tonight a great celebration is in order.”

“That it is,” Scott added turning away when Demeter claimed Logan’s mouth in another eager kiss. He cleared his throat and turned away as Logan found himself helpless in the moment.

“Right,” Logan forced a smile when Demeter stepped away. She looked between both men before smiling widely.

“I trust you both have things to discuss as well given that Athena has brought you together at just the right time to prepare for this joyous occasion,” Demeter beamed moving over to kiss Scott on the cheek before moving towards the door, “Try not to work too hard on training as I imagine there are a great many other things ahead of you for this evening’s celebration.”

“Of course,” Scott replied exchanging a few more pleasantries with her before she moved out of the room leaving Logan and Scott with one another once again.

“Slim I…” Logan stepped forward not quite sure what to say when Scott turned away from him.

“Save it Logan,” Scott answered stiffly. He brought his arms up around his torso in an obvious attempt to take control of whatever emotions were flooding down upon him. Unlike his time in their world, Scott wasn’t as good at hiding what he was feeling when Logan realized how awful it must’ve looked to see Logan kissing Demeter when Scott arrived in the bedroom.

“It wasn’t what you think,” Logan bridged the distance between them attempting to appeal to his lover with a firm palm pressed over his shoulder. The movement caused Scott to shudder and stiffen beneath Logan’s touch, but just as soon as it happened, Scott cleared his throat and stepped away severing the connection between them.

“We have our work cut out ahead of us if we are to discover Sanja’s location before the evening,” Scott explained in a firm, business as usual tone, “Time isn’t on our side on this Logan and…”

“Even so with what happened before…” Logan found himself at a loss.

“It isn’t any of my concern,” Scott answered in a cool, neutral tone.

“Slim, we both know that…” Logan attempted to appeal to him once again.

“We’re running short on time Logan. The more time we spend talking about this, the less ground we are going to cover in locating Sanja,” Scott dismissed Logan’s concerns on the issue at hand.

“I realize that, but at the same time I just need you to know that…” Logan began again with a pained expression on his face.

“It isn’t any of my concern,” Scott replied firmly.

“Of course, it is. What you walked in before was…”

“We’re wasting time Logan,” Scott remarked taking a step away from where Logan stood near the window.

“Perhaps, but…” Logan stopped himself finding his words failing to fall from his lips when Scott moved towards the door, “Slim?”

“Get dressed,” Scott answered coldly, “We don’t have a lot of time to sort this out.”

“No, I suppose we don’t,” Logan frowned watching Scott leave the room as he realized that things had gotten increasingly more complicated in his journey to bring Scott back home again.

* * *

“So, this is where you first spotted Sanja?” Scott questioned looking around the empty shoreline of the beach. Unlike the previous time Logan had been upon the sand in the sun, it was simply smooth, crisp sand devoid of any footprints beyond the ones Scott and Logan had created upon their arrival.

Logan nodded watching Scott crouch down into the sand to inspect the texture beneath his toes. His face was distanced, his posture still closed off as it had been in Logan’s bedroom when it was clear he was still upset over what he’d witnessed with Logan and Demeter, “He was here when I awakened almost welcoming me into the world so to speak.”

“And after he ran off, yes?” Scott turned away from Logan, looking out onto the water as Logan took in a nervous breath.

“In that direction,” Logan pointed across the sand to the place where he’d watched the boy rush away from him.

“Then I guess that’s where we start,” Scott decided standing upright. He dusted off the toga he was wearing, doing his best to brush some of the sand from his body before moving off in the direction that Logan had pointed him in.

“I guess so,” Logan agreed following Scott now that they’d convinced Persephone that they would be working to build Scott’s skills for their upcoming battle against Hades before their night of pre-marital celebrations. As they moved through the sand, Logan felt the weight of the tension in the air between them. Although Scott hadn’t said another word about Demeter’s presence in Logan’s room, the damage had already been done when Scott kept his distance from Logan. It was as if there was an invisible wall between them keeping them at arm’s length when Scott refused to acknowledge the issue remaining between them. Still overcome by concern Logan had to do something to fix the situation, “Slim, look about what you saw before…”

“It doesn’t matter,” Scott replied abruptly, “Right now we have to look into finding Sanja and…”

“Of course, it matters Slim,” Logan frowned ceasing all movement. He stood in the center of the sand with his thick arms crossed over his powerful, muscular chest, “It obviously bothered you, so the longer we keep skirting around the issue between us…”

“I’m not concerned with that Logan,” Scott attempted to dismiss Logan’s words.

“Well I am because I don’t think you have any idea what was happening when…” Logan’s voice came out louder than he’d intended when he spoke up in his own defense.

“She was naked in your room and you were kissing her,” Scott answered stiffly. He refused to turn around and look at Logan while the winds picked up on the sand around them, “I think the situation speaks for itself considering Demeter’s power of persuasion. I knew she was interested so it makes sense that you would be tempted by the idea of…”

“She was all over me Slim,” Logan’s frown intensified, “I didn’t ask for her to join me, but she just…”

“Pushed her way into the room and forced your arms around her, right?” Scott questioned in an accusatory tone all the while revealing the jealousy that had consumed him in seeing Demeter kissing Logan. Still not one to be caught up in his emotions, Scott lowered his hands to his sides balling them into fists. He began to march forward through the sand before speaking up again with sarcasm in his tone, “Let me guess. After I left last night, you couldn’t resist considering that this world has opened the doors to so many different possibilities.”

“Hey, I’m not the one getting married tomorrow,” Logan snarled in response watching as Scott stopped moving in front of him. Yeah, that one got him to the core when Scott’s knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists tighter than before, “Or has that been lost on you in all of this? I guess we were both wrong in our perceptions last night.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Scott replied.

“You tried to convince me when you were in my arms that Persephone had no interest in fucking you, but given that golden visor you’re sporting this morning, it would seem that she’s more than eager to give you a test drive in the pleasure department,” Logan spat back at him with a shudder, “Turns out she wants more from you than the rush into victory.”

“Do you think I asked for any of this?” Scott questioned with a snarl turning around to face Logan again, “Do you think I wanted this to happen? Last night after I left your room I was nearly caught in the hallway. I spent the remainder of the evening moving around the compound trying to find something that would help us out of this mess and…”

“Given that Hera is blessing you with celestial gifts you don’t exactly look like you’re fighting it from where I stand,” Logan quipped with jealousy in his tone. It was something he hadn’t meant to reveal, but the venom he’d put into his words caused Scott to balk back at him.

“Would you listen to yourself?” Scott frowned.

“You’re the one who started it lecturing me about what happened with Demeter when you were the one that…”

“It was means to an end,” Scott argued with him. Shaking his head and throwing his hands up in the air, Scott took a step forward glaring at Logan from across the beach they were on, “I knew that we were going to have our work cut out for us. As much as I can maneuver around this island, I knew that I needed my visor to see and when the opportunity presented itself…”

“You figured why the hell not jump on it given that it only cost you your freedom,” Logan mimicked Scott’s response and threw his hands up in the air, “So what if it came at a price because it was all about what you needed instead of…”

“What I needed was to find a way to get the hell out of this situation,” Scott marched in towards Logan when his anger intensified, “I was trying to play pragmatic so that we could push forward in our search without a handicap on my part that would hinder our progress moving forward. It was not to make myself more desirable to Persephone. It was about getting the job done whereas some of us were simply opting to play with a goddess in their room after we separated when…”

“So, what if I did? You agreed to get married.”

“I found a solution to a problem at hand to buy us some time when…”

“No, you just made things more complicated because you’d just rather skip to the honeymoon night tomorrow where you are obligated to take her as your own,” Logan shot back icily when his jealousy got the best of him, “So much for our future back home when you can be a god, right?”

“I wasn’t the one naked with Demeter all around me,” Scott reminded him with a wave of jealousy passing in the air between them, “I didn’t have her tongue down my throat when…”

“No, you were the one keeping this bullshit lie going when you agreed to marry Persephone,” Logan raised his voice with a snarl, “You kept telling me that there wasn’t a thing to worry about because she was so focused on this war of hers, but that’s not the way I see it. If anything, it just proves to me that she wants a whole hell of a lot more than to have Hades buried.”

“Logan right now is not the time to…” Scott scoffed.

“Forget it,” Logan scoffed before letting his rage get the best of him, “Then again I’m not really surprised by this new twist given that your perception has always been a little bit off in judging a woman’s character.”

“That isn’t the case in this situation. I didn’t have a choice,” Scott argued moving in closer to Logan. He stomped across the sand as the wind kicked up again causing Scott’s thin toga to ripple against his body revealing the hard lines of the angry man beneath the sheer material.

“There’s always a choice,” Logan countered stomping across the sand to glare up at Scott, “You know how much is riding on our getting out of here.”

“Don’t you think I’ve been working on that? Don’t you think that I’ve been trying to find a way home when all of this is…” Scott continued with an angry scowl.

“Working to benefit you because if we fail you end up with Persephone as ruler of the Underworld. You’re in still control of an army in charge of everything and…” Logan tossed back at him flippantly.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t know Slim. You figure it out.”

“Why don’t you just enlighten me seeing as you have something that you’re just dying to say to me?” Scott placed his hands on his hips and glared down at Logan.

“You’ve always had this thing for being in control, so maybe with being here as long as you have the power got to your head,” Logan suggested spitefully when the breeze picked up around them taking the warmth of the sun around them on the beach and transforming the blue skies above to something far darker with Logan’s anger. Moving in closer to Scott, Logan watched as Scott’s dark hair blew around his face framing his perfect features when Scott’s jaw flexed with tension, “Maybe you are enjoying the power rush that you’ve been given in knowing that you could be king of everything in this new place. With Persephone at your side it would give you the power to reshape this world in your own image and…”

“You’re crazy,” Scott spat back at him. He marched forward puffing out his chest and glaring at Logan behind his new visor when the weight of his anger vibrated in his words, “Why in the hell would I want to be king of this nightmare when…?”

“Here you could have it all without consequence. You could shape the world the way you want it to be with her as your queen and…” Logan accused when jealousy coiled over his body taking him from rational to enraged, “You could have everything I could never give you and…”

“If I wanted to have an easy life, then maybe I would do that,” Scott shot back icily, “Maybe I would indulge the dark fantasy of a life that Persephone has offered me, but instead I prefer the headache that you bring into my life.”

“Like you’re such a joyful person to be around,” Logan threw his hands up in the air when he stomped across the sand kicking it up with each heavy, agitated movement he made, “You couldn’t even tell me you loved me before you disappeared. Time and time again I tried to pull that out of you, but…”

“Did you really though?” Scott challenged when a rumble in the clouds above seemed to guide on their movements. With each step Scott took towards him, Logan found himself watching his lover closely underneath the darkened skies.

“I did everything to find you again,” Logan argued with him, “You know how deep my feelings run for you.”

“Having your tongue down Demeter’s throat really shows how much you care,” Scott shot back icily when a flash of lightning from above seemed to transform the day around them bringing with it something far darker in their exchange.

“I gave up everything to come here and find you,” Logan reminded him with a huff. He moved forward bringing a close to the gap between them when he snarled, “I risked it all to bring you home and…”

“Now that you’re here you’ve just decided to see what other fun you could find in the process when…” Scott quipped offhandedly when it was clear that they were running in circles with one another.

“Fuck you Slim,” Logan snarled glaring up at the man he’d found himself missing like hell during the time he’d been away, “You and all your stupid plans always end up in a situation where we have lost all control because you refuse to think logical about a problem at times when…”

“I did what I felt was best in Vegas. I was trying to help Sanja and…” Scott defended his position.

“You cost us everything,” Logan reminded him with an angry shake of his head. Reaching out he grabbed Scott’s shoulder fighting the urge to shake him when Scott stood before him equally enraged underneath the storm clouds, “You walked away from what we had without a fight and…”

“I thought I was coming home,” Scott pushed Logan’s hand off his shoulder and snarled.

“But you didn’t and now we’re here together again after I thought I lost you. I fought like hell to find you again so for you to even suggest that I would throw it away for someone like Demeter when…”

“We made promises to one another last night Logan, but those were in the heat of the moment. Much like everything else we’ve done before we found ourselves here,” Scott stiffened at the conclusion of Logan’s words, “Perhaps it was just lip service meant best served as pillow talk for…”

“I’ve never lied to you about the way you make me feel,” Logan announced boldly. He reached for Scott again. Squeezing his thick fingers over Scott’s shoulder, he prompted Scott to move in closer to him, “I’ve never hidden from the things you do to me. You should know by now that when I tell you something, I mean it Slim.”

“I know what you said, but…” Scott’s words trailed off when Logan’s grip on him constricted, roughly pulling Scott in closer to him. With a gasp, Scott’s head tipped down when it was clear that his eyes were focused on Logan’s lips undoubtedly reflecting on what he’d witnessed in Logan’s room back at Persephone’s haven, “It was the first time I’ve truly seen you in months and…I didn’t like seeing you kiss her.”

“It wasn’t because I wanted it. She did something to me Slim. It was like she put a spell over me and…” Logan snarled shaking the rage that carried over him when it was clear that Scott was caught up in the memory of seeing Logan in Demeter’s embrace, “Fuck it. I don’t have to explain anything to you. After everything we’ve been through…after all the compromises we’ve made with one another…”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Scott questioned when Logan released him opting instead to take a step back when the thunder above seemed to carry over the moment between them.

“Let’s face it. Our life together has never been easy,” Logan’s frown intensified when he found himself thinking back to the things that were waiting for them back home.

“I never said it was, but at the same time Logan right now isn’t about then. It’s about…”

“Tell me Slim, did you always gravitate to telepaths before me because you were in love with them or because it was easier for you to be lazy in a relationship?” Logan questioned placing his hands on his own hips.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Scott frowned.

“It has everything to do with us,” Logan continued with a shake of his head, “With Emma and Jean you didn’t have to work to make things right because they could just look inside your head and see what was there. You didn’t have to try to set the record straight or work to figure things out because it came easy to you. The right words were never needed because they could just pull them from inside of you without much effort.”

“Nothing about my time with Jean or Emma was easy,” Scott argued with him, “You know as well as I do that things were far from being simple.”

“Maybe, but it made you lazy in dealing with the workings of a relationship. Instead of going for what you wanted and showing how you felt about something, you let them walk inside and look around to see what was there. You gave them the chance to do all the work without taking a risk because you never had to. You never had to step up and tell them what you were thinking or feeling because it was all inside of here…” Logan pointed to his head and huffed, “It made everything simple for you in ways that you got used to accommodating, but then we happened, and you don’t know how to deal with it.”

“I don’t know how to deal?” Scott questioned with an angry scowl, “I’m not the one who went to the Avengers when we had a disagreement and told them that I was the enemy because he couldn’t face what he was feeling in the moment.”

“No, you were just the one keeping me at arm’s length refusing to let me inside for so very long because our relationship is difficult for you. Admit it,” Logan tossed back at him when a heavy gust of wind carried over the beach causing a whirlwind of sand to spiral just beyond where they stood with one another.

“You admit it,” Scott challenged folding his arms in front of his chest, “Instead of working through our problems you ran from them deeming me the enemy and taking things to the extreme.”

“You were out of control,” Logan argued with him.

“And you were out of line taking things past the point of no return until we were both too far gone to ever recover from the wounds we inflicted upon each other,” Scott’s voice held a hint of remorse and regret when flashes of their past weighed upon the both of them.

Closing his eyes Logan let out a long sigh thinking about the great divide that existed between them before they’d been given a new chance at living again. Caught up in his mistakes, Logan lowered his head somberly when he heard Scott speaking his name.

“Logan…” Scott’s voice softened somehow as the moment carried over them.

“You didn’t tell me yes before you left because you’re not sure you want to work on it,” Logan raised his chin up to face his fears head on, “You are still holding it all against me for my previous actions. You know that we both went too far back then when we fell apart, but now…”

“We both made mistakes that cost us more than we were willing to pay,” Scott agreed with regret carrying over him.

“We were both stubborn and foolish and…” Logan’s thoughts turned back to the connection they’d made before Scott’s disappearance. With so much history between them, Logan found himself questioning the reality that he’d surrounded himself with before he’d lost Scott. Suddenly his fears compounded when he focused on Scott’s darkened features before him, “You aren’t convinced that you can handle actually having to put effort into making this work for us.”

“That’s crazy,” Scott dismissed his words.

“Is it?” Logan challenged, “After everything we’ve put one another through, can you tell me that you’re really ready to commit to something like what we talked about? Is this really what you want Slim?”

“Of course, it is,” Scott threw his hands up in the air in frustration.

“Then why didn’t you give me an answer before you left?” Logan softened his tone when the weight of their mistakes came crashing down upon him.

“It wasn’t the right time,” Scott replied with a sigh.

“It never was the right time Slim. There was always something or someone keeping you from talking to me—from telling me what you want…”

“I told you last night that…” Scott attempted to explain himself when Logan cut him off.

“You were caught up in the heat of the moment remembering the good that we can have in these stolen moments between us, but now that it’s over here you are ready to marry Persephone and…”

“Why would I want to marry her?” Scott questioned with a frown.

“Why wouldn’t you? I mean if we don’t find Sanja, then you can be a king and…” Logan pointed out with a worried expression on his face.

“I don’t want to be a king,” Scott snapped in recoil. He moved in closer to Logan with a pinched expression on his face, “Despite all the things that your mind conjured up about me during that time we were apart, the truth is I just want you. I’ve always wanted you.”

“You are so full of…” Logan stopped himself when he caught the wounded expression on Scott’s face, “What did you say?”

“I want you Logan,” Scott stepped forward reaching out to cup Logan’s face in his hands. Guiding Logan to look up at him, Scott leaned down to press his lips to Logan’s in a tender sweep of desire, “Just you.”

“But I…” Logan questioned as Scott held and caressed his cheekbones.

“You infuriate the hell out of me, but as it stands I knew that what we were doing before wasn’t working,” Scott divulged guiltily moving out of the embrace they shared, “When we were at odds with one another, it was the worst regret I’d ever experienced in my life. Knowing that you hated the man I became…”

“I didn’t hate you,” Logan offered up reaching out to take Scott’s hand in his once again.

“Yes,” Scott spoke up solemnly, “you did, and I don’t blame you for the contempt you carried against me. You were right in hating me for all I’d done, but…”

“You needed my help and I turned my back on you,” Logan sighed taking in Scott’s words, “You needed me beside you, but like a coward I turned my back on all that we were in order to stick to my guns about something that wasn’t important enough in the end to keep us from one another.”

“You had your reasons and I don’t blame you for walking away but knowing that you did…” Scott’s words tapered off. He lowered his head and offered up a sigh, “For so long I grew so dependent upon you—upon your presence in my life in keeping me in check, but then suddenly you were gone and I was on my own forced to face a part of myself that I loathed and despised. I was so caught up in my duty and responsibility that I lost myself along the way. I lost sight of what mattered when it came to us because nothing mattered beyond saving us all…”

“You forgot the importance of saving yourself,” Logan noted when a painful expression carried over Scott’s handsome features.

“You mean so much to me Logan that losing you changed me,” Scott confessed painfully. His lisp parted revealing the slight quiver that came with his breath when he confessed his guilt to Logan, “Don’t get me wrong Jean and Emma will always be special to me, but there was something about us—something about the bond that we shared that went without saying. There were things that I shared with only you that I wouldn’t dare reveal to anyone else. You became something far greater than I’d imagined you’d ever be when you walked into my life.”

“Slim…”

“When you finally came back to me again, it was as if fate had smiled down upon us giving us that opportunity that we let slip away the first time around,” Scott confessed slowly tipping his head up to watch Logan in his moment of realization, “It was so easy to invite you back into my bed—into my life to hop in on my next mission to save the world, but as time went on I realized that I needed more than our arrangement. I wanted something that went beyond desire and longing. I needed confirmation of…”

“What?” Logan questioned behind shaky words.

“This,” Scott stepped forward and kissed Logan again without hesitation, “I needed this. More than anything I needed to know that this wasn’t just a fleeting emotion destined to fail once we gave into it. I needed to see that what we were doing wasn’t about hate or lust. I needed to know it wasn’t about our rivalry or winning or about besting one another with Jean when…”

“This was never about Jean,” Logan confessed stepping in closer to him, “Granted she played a big part of our history together, but this…what we feel between us has always been about only us.”

“You irritate the hell out of me Logan, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. As much as I want to strangle you at times, I love you,” Scott answered readily sliding his arms around Logan’s shoulders, “It’s hard for me to say that and I’m terrible at giving myself to matters of the heart, but with you, well, after all this time apart you make it easy for me. You make me want to be a better man and in doing so you challenge me to view the world differently than I’d imagined. Time and time again you’ve pushed me to my limit—taking me out of my comfort zone and given me something far greater than Jean or Emma could when they were moving around through my mind. Yes, they could see my thoughts, but you—damn it, Logan you’ve always held my heart. As much as I wanted to deny it, you are everything to me and I was afraid to say yes because the last thing I wanted was to lose you again. I didn’t want you to wake up one morning and see me as the greatest failure in your life when I was incapable of giving you all that you deserved.”

“What I deserve? Slim, think about who you are talking to.”

“I am,” he continued in an impassioned tone, “I’ve thought about it long and hard and I’ve been a terrible husband Logan. I failed Maddie. I failed Jean and now…”

“You won’t fail me,” Logan embraced him eagerly, “I wouldn’t have asked you to be mine if I didn’t believe that this was the right thing to do. You know how bad things turned out for me when I pushed you out of my life before, but now…”

“I don’t want to fail you too like I failed them,” Scott hung his head shamefully, “I don’t want to screw this up when you’re everything I’ve ever wanted. I just don’t want to be that person that serves as a painful reminder of the greatest mistake you ever made.”

“Loving you has been the greatest adventure of my life. With all that I am I love you Slim,” Logan promised squeezing his arms around Scott’s waist.

“I love you too,” Scott confessed, “More than anything I love you Logan. This time we spent apart only reconfirmed that I want nothing more than to get the hell out of this horrible place so that I can spend the rest of my life with you by my side living with you and loving you in ways that I was afraid to settle into before. More than anything I want to marry you and be your Scott forever.”

“I couldn’t ask for anything more. I love you,” Logan offered up readily feeling as if the weight of their past had been lifted off his shoulders when he held Scott in his arms. Now with the winds picking up and the rain coming down upon them on the beach it seemed that their relationship had shifted with the tide bringing forth a deeper sense of clarity between them when the roaring of the dark waters before them crashed against the shoreline.

“Logan I…” Scott breathed with his words vibrating against Logan’s lips. However, before Scott could sink further into the moment, the thunder rumbling above and the lightning touching down on the shoreline beside them caused them both to take pause. Looking out onto the water, Logan realized that the waves were starting to part again when he was met with an uncanny familiarity with Scott beside him.

“Slim,” Logan spoke up curling his arm tighter around Scott’s waist when he remembered the last time the water had parted to reveal Charon’s boat before him. It seemed with the storm surrounding them that history was bound to repeat itself when the ferryman rose from beneath the water’s deep, dark depths to reveal the gateway to the underworld that Logan had fought to forget.

“What’s happening?” Scott questioned when Logan’s grip on him constricted further.

“You’re about to find your way to hell with me,” Logan divulged thinking about the darkness that surrounded Charon’s arrival.

“Is that all?” Scott questioned with a wry grin watching as Charon moved to the shoreline bringing with him an opportunity for Scott and Logan to enter a darker part of their journey with one another.

“I’d always told you that I’d be willing to follow you into hell, but knowing what is waiting on the other side,” Logan hesitated looking up to Scott again, “Would you be willing to follow me there?”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Scott promised reaching for Logan’s hand. Interlacing their fingers together, he turned to Charon preparing to make the journey towards discovering what awaited the both of them on the other side now that they’d found themselves in the center of a war they were about to fight like hell to prevent.


	5. Chapter 5

The depths of the murky waters crashed into the boat leaving Logan even more apprehensive about traveling through the dark rapids. Looking over to the opposite side of the boat, Logan was unsettled by the idea of bringing Scott with him to meet Hades after he had propositioned Logan and enlisted him to end the battle between him and Persephone. It seemed that Hades was checking in on his pawn, undoubtedly hoping that Logan had played the game in taking out the true threat to the empire that Hades reigned over.

“So, what is on the big boss man’s mind today?” Logan questioned turning his attention to Charon in the hopes that perhaps the ferryman would be a bit more receptive to Logan’s questioning now that Scott had joined him on his journey, “What is he planning for us?”

“He’s not going to answer you,” Scott piped in causing Logan to turn his attention to his lover. Surprisingly Scott seemed far more at ease in the boat than Logan was in their strange circumstances. Logan blinked back at him noticing the way that Charon worked to push through the waters taking them closer to Hades and his plans for them when Scott explained further, “It isn’t his place to give us the answers that you seek out. He’s here to serve his master and nothing more. That is his purpose as our guide.”

“Yeah, well what kind of life is that in staying quiet all the time for a boss, who quite frankly is a bit of a pain in the ass if you ask me,” Logan huffed plopping down on his side of the boat.

“Some people don’t have a problem with insubordination and following orders,” Scott quipped offering up a wry grin as he leaned back in the boat making himself more comfortable in their uncomfortable settings.

“Yeah, well, some people don’t realize that the person they work for needs to be questioned especially where their motivations are concerned,” Logan grumbled before finally relenting to a seated position on his side of the boat. He glanced over at Charon again before shaking his head, “It seems that the job would be easier for all involved if he was able to carry a conversation every now and then.”

“In doing so it would take away from his purpose in being here,” Scott noted turning his attention to their driver now that the waters began to smooth out and grow calm. For a moment Logan found himself welcoming the reprieve, but it didn’t last long when the thick, dense fog that Logan recognized from his first time around on the journey started to surround them.

“What purpose is that exactly?” Logan questioned looking to Scott again when things seemed to slow down around them, taking them to a standstill on the water that surrounded them.

“It would be…” Scott paused when everything around them ceased all movement. Frowning Scott looked to Charon again. The tall ferryman stood frozen in place holding onto the large wooden pole in his hands. Almost immediately Scott sprung up from his side of the boat turning his attention to the stilled waters beyond the boat they were in, “Logan, did this happen the last time you were on the journey to Hades?”

“No…this is different,” Logan replied rising to his feet as well watching as Scott leaned over the side of the boat to inspect the frozen waters beside them, “Slim, be careful. Something’s wrong.”

“I’m fine,” Scott waved his hand dismissively. He dipped down further bringing his hand to the water’s surface. Without another word he skimmed his index finger over the top of it, causing a splash of water to push up from the surface out into the air suddenly in a spiral pattern of a frozen series of droplets each held by the pause in the atmosphere at the break from reality surrounding them, “but this…this is quite curious.”

“Do you think Hades is screwing with us?” Logan questioned moving over to join Scott on his side of the boat. On shaky limbs Logan looked over the side to discover a dark, crimson colored fish with a mouth open wide and a series of teeth pushing out of the water frozen in the air. The oversized jaw was ready to close in upon a tiny illuminated bug that flew low towards the water, but just as with everything else around them they, too, were frozen by whatever shift in dynamics had pressed upon them.

“No, you said it yourself that Atlas told you this was a game of his. He made it clear that he was using us as pawns in this world indicating that he holds some kind of power over us. If what he said was true, then he could be pulling the strings on making this world function,” Scott replied turning around to face Logan once again, “but something tells me that this is a glitch in his system.”

“His system?” Logan repeated tipping his head to the side to look over at Scott.

“You said that this to him,” Scott bent down to flick his fingers in the water once again watching as the spray was held frozen in the atmosphere beside the original drops, “was a game and in that mindset this all would be a construct. By the both of us breaking through his predestined plans for us, he wants to prevent us from reaching our destination.”

“By stopping us right here in the middle of nowhere?” Logan questioned as Scott stood up taller.

“By keeping us from ending the game,” Scott clarified with a frown, “To keep the game going, we must be playing our parts—caught up in his narrative doing what he expects of us in this world…”

“But to have that kind of control over us, would mean that…” Logan’s words tapered off when he thought back to the strange metallic room he’d awakened in before he had returned to the world with Scott. For a moment he thought about the strange encounter, about the smugness in the expression Atlas had on his face, but the rest was lost on him when he found himself focusing on the world that had frozen around him. Without a word Logan discovered that Scott reached for the edge of the boat, bringing his foot up and dragging it over the side of the boat when Logan rushed over to his side, “Slim, what are you doing?”

“We aren’t going to be going any further in this boat. If we stay on this path our journey ends here,” Scott explained stretching his foot out and bringing it down atop of the water’s surface. Much to Logan’s surprise Scott’s foot was seemingly steadied upon the dark water neither sinking nor shaky over the cool, dark surface, “This is where we leave this place.”

“Slim, I don’t know if that is such a…” Logan’s words fell to silence when he watched his lover climb fully over the side of the boat only to stand before him on the water’s surface.

“Come on Logan,” Scott mouthed stretching his arm out towards his lover. He smirked at Logan offering up a confident grin mean to put Logan’s fears at ease, “I won’t let you fall in this.”

“I’m not worried about falling. It’s more the thought of drowning forever in the depths frozen under the water drowning again and again until Atlas finds new plans for me,” Logan confessed with a tiny shudder looking down to the murky waters beneath Scott’s feet again.

“That’s not going to happen. Atlas isn’t allowed to take you as long as I’m around,” Scott promised stretching his arm out further to offer his palm to Logan, “Come on Logan. I’ve got you. It’s just one small step.”

“You’d better not be wrong about this,” Logan grudgingly reached out to take Scott’s hand in his. With a nervous breath, Logan pushed forward bringing his heavy leg over the side of the side of the boat. Looking over his shoulder at Charon, Logan found himself wondering just what was happening when Scott guided him out of the boat and onto the stilled water.

“I’ve got you,” Scott whispered guiding his arm around Logan’s waist to pull Logan in against his chest, “See piece of cake.”

“Show off,” Logan teased poking at Scott’s ribs when Scott’s arms surrounded him, “You always thought you could walk on water somehow.”

“It isn’t the first time I’ve tried it, but now that I have perhaps I will have to keep that in mind for bragging rights in the future,” Scott divulged teasingly when his face rose with the color, “Although when I had the power of the Phoenix inside of me…”

“You were invincible,” Logan remarked thinking back to the lowest point in their relationship with one another.

“I learned not to think too hard about the actions that guided me into the next phase of what my journey was. I simply learned to embrace what was and try not to focus too far into the future or its aftermath,” Scott explained looking around the fog and the darkness as if seeking out some hidden meaning in their destination before he settled in on a direction for them, “I suppose we should make our way to the shore, yes?”

“That’s where I ran into Hades before,” Logan nodded as the two moved across the damp surface pushing over the water towards the dark land ahead of them. With each step Logan took, he couldn’t help, but look back over his shoulder only to discover that Charon was still frozen in place held captive to whatever time stopping power Atlas had worked over their surroundings now. The world still seemed locked into his madness even after Scott and Logan had broken free of the spell upon the world that surrounded them, “What do you think is happening? What is Atlas doing exactly?”

“It’s Sanja,” Scott answered quietly as he kept his fingers interlaced with Logan’s, “He’s close.”

“He’s doing this?” Logan’s eyes widened with surprise, “The boy is the one that…?”

Scott nodded, “Atlas is undoubtedly using him as a check and balance system in his game. It’s clear that he’s sensed a disturbance in the world that he’s created. With our getting closer…”

“What?” Logan asked.

“Atlas is nervous undoubtedly trying to find the flaw to his system, but Sanja…he knows we’re seeking him out,” Scott explained as they moved forward, each step taking them further from the safety of the boat to the middle of the water when everything around them ceased to exist. The water grew almost pixelated beneath their feet transforming to a dark, hazy fog that seemed to swirl around the world surrounding them. It brought with it a dense, heavy chill in the air bringing forth a brief flashing light illuminating their path until a moment later they were surrounded by darkness, far from the safety and security of the boat when the stilled water beneath them served as a potential trap should the spell around them be broken.

“So what? He’s trying to freeze time to keep us away?” Logan questioned looking down at the water beneath him to discover a creature with razor sharp teeth just beneath the surface where he was standing. With a shudder he shuffled forward preparing to keep moving when Scott squeezed at his and once again.

“No,” Scott shook his head firmly, “He’s welcoming us to discover his location. He’s asking us to solve the puzzle before us.”

“You call this a welcome Slim?” Logan questioned looking to the fog that still lingered around his feet.

“He may be here because of Atlas, but he is strong than the man who is attempting to pull his strings. The things that Sanja knows…” Scott’s words trailed off when Logan reached out to touch his arm fearing that Scott may have been suddenly frozen as well.

“Slim?”

“Look,” Scott pointed out through the darkness, “over there.”

“What?” Logan raised his chin up discovering that beyond the blackness that surrounded them that there was a faint tease of light on the horizon. With each step they made it grew and expanded, illuminating the world around them until finally after a few minutes of pushing forward Logan looked down to discover the shoreline beneath his feet. Letting out a breath of relief he turned to Scott with more questions than answers in his mind, “What now?”

“We go towards the light. There we will find our answers,” Scott explained pushing on out of the waters and moving towards the light source until finally after a long, quiet journey the two men stood before an oversized rock formation leading to the darkened stone walled castle that contained the light source.

“What is that?” Logan asked knowing full well that they were about to find out when Scott made the climb through the darkness to discover a series of narrow steps leading up the back of the castle.

“It’s Sanja,” Scott answered knowingly ascending through the path they’d taken from the water leading them to this new part of the world they’d become a part of, “He can sense we are here.”

“How do you know?” Logan asked.

“I can feel him,” Scott replied readily moving forward on their climb with one another.

“Is he a telepath?” Logan asked remembering the small boy he’d crossed paths with.

“Not exactly, but what he is…” Scott seemed to hesitate in his thoughts, “It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. The things he’s capable of…”

“Slim?”

“We need to speak with him,” Scott declared readily.

“You think he’s in there?” Logan questioned watching his lover move forward with a renewed urgency in his step.

“I know it and as far as I can tell he’s waiting for us inside,” Scott spoke up readily, “He’s taken to jumbling the construct Atlas has required long enough for us to find our way to him. He has so many questions that…”

“Is he asking you them now?” Logan asked moving in closer to Scott, “Are you speaking with him?”

“Not yet, but he’s aware of our presence,” Scott explained reaching out behind him to take Logan’s hand in his, “Perhaps this is our chance to get things in order…”

“What about Atlas?” Logan asked thinking about the man he’d met on his journey as well.

“If he’s in there with Sanja, we’ll deal with him,” Scott concluded leading Logan up to the castle before them.

“You say it like that’s going to be a small task. From what I’ve seen of this man, he’s ruthless and…,” Logan remarked under his breath grudgingly following Scott along the path.

“Nothing with us is a small task Logan, but I don’t doubt for a second that we can figure this out together,” Scott stopped moving long enough to glance over his shoulder and toss a small smirk in Logan’s general direction, “Think you’re up for it?”

“I’m always up for it,” Logan remarked with a sneer causing Scott to shake his head and laugh.

“Don’t I know it,” Scott teased giving Logan a brief once over before he redirected his attention to the castle before them once again, “Come on Logan. It’s now or never.”

“Hmm…well, when you put it that way,” Logan replied following Scott up the hill leading to the castle. The further they were entrenched in this new part of the world, the more Logan realized it wasn’t like anything else he’d experienced thus far. What had begun as a journey through ancient Greece had seemingly transformed to a more medieval feel as their surroundings had evolved with the stone and brick surrounding them. The castle looked as if it had been taken from the pages of a child’s fairy tale with tall, dark towers and a darkened stone wall near the water that surrounded them. It was devoid of any kind of crests or colors, but everything about it spoke volumes about the inhabitants. The mood was dark and foreboding, yet Scott seemed convinced that the young boy was within the walls of the glowing tower offering them a taste of what magic he had conjured up with his powers.

“You’re sure this is a good idea?” Logan questioned lowering his voice when he spotted two guards over by the back entrance. Rushing forward he placed his palm on Scott’s shoulder and coaxed Scott down into the shrubs with him out of the line of vision.

“Logan, what are you…?” Scott questioned when he looked up to discover the two guards moving out onto the atrium with rifles over their shoulder. At a closer inspection, Logan noticed that the rifles were painted blue and red and contained long, sharp blades at the end of them. The rifles matched the soldiers with their bright colorful uniforms, who were a deep contrast to the dark world around them.

“We can’t go in that way,” Logan pointed out the guards to Scott before drawing in a breath. He opened his mouth to say something more when he realized the guards painted faces resembled the cracked, wooden nutcrackers that Hank had collected back home.

“Are you seeing this?” Logan pointed to one of the soldiers when Scott craned his neck up above the shrubs to take in their surroundings. He surveyed the area looking beyond the guards to the building itself when Logan touched his shoulder gently, “It looks like we stepped out of our ancient world and right into Santa’s evil toy shop where everything dark and ominous about the spirit of the Nutcracker came forward to haunt us.”

“I didn’t know you were a fan of the Nutcracker?” Scott arched a curious brow turning his attention to Logan again.

“I’m not,” Logan shrugged his shoulders and sighed, “but Jubilee made me sit through it more times than I care to recount and…”

“Say no more,” Scott laughed lightly, “I’m sure it did you some good.”

“That’s debatable,” Logan couldn’t help, but snarl at the memory, “but this…well, this looks a hell of a lot darker than what we watched.”

“That’s because it is. The fact to the matter is that this is in part what Sanja imagined mixed with whatever Atlas has implanted into his thoughts,” Scott explained watching the wooden-lifelike soldier pass by where he and Logan were hiding, “I would imagine that Sanja had to have come up with this security system to keep himself away from the rest of the world and…”

“They look so real, but they’re wood, right?” Logan questioned taking in the carved lines of the face of the soldier that had just passed by them. He lowered his hands preparing to unsheathe his claws and tear the wooden men before him apart limb for limb, “In theory they and this construct aren’t real so it could mean that we could work our way through them shredding them like nothing and…”

“No. We don’t know what kind of magic Sanja has given them. Just because they appear to us as wooden soldiers doesn’t mean that things are as they seem,” Scott held his hand up in the air to prevent Logan from taking any rash actions. When that proved ineffective Scott reached for Logan’s wrist seizing it before he could unleash his fury with his claws, “In Sanja’s mind this is his safe place. If you go in there with claws slashing, then we’ll never make it past the entrance. He will see us as the monsters invading his haven and we can’t have that. To do this we need to step into his world and immerse ourselves in it to keep this as peaceful as possible otherwise this could blow up in our faces.”

“What do you suggest?” Logan questioned looking up at the sky when a single snowflake touched down just beyond where he and Scott were crouched down with one another. Tilting his head up to look at the clouds, Logan watched as the snow suddenly came down in an abrupt, harsh wave transforming the warm climate to something far harder to explain. He glanced over at Scott again, taking in his damp toga when the temperature dropped and the snow dusted the ground before them, “Slim?”

“Come on,” Scott tugged on Logan’s arm coaxing Logan to follow him as the two men hurriedly made their way into darkened entrance to the castle. At first Logan hesitated searching the perimeter for the wooden soldiers he’d spotted earlier, but as Scott slipped through the doorway into the darkness, Logan sucked in a sharp breath and followed dutifully hoping like hell that they weren’t setting themselves up for more trouble.

“Slim?” Logan questioned when the dark world that surrounded him was suddenly replaced by bright welcoming colors and the sound of holiday music playing in the room that surrounded him. To his left was an oversized Evergreen tree decorated with multicolor ornaments made out of handblown glass to reveal a menagerie of various animals ranging from elephants to monkeys, dolphins to eagles each one more vibrant and beautiful than the last until Logan tilted his head up to see the top of the brightly lit tree where a golden star was perched upon it. Underneath the tree were piles of presents encircled by a running toy train set that sped up to curve around the base of the tree. It made a small sound before Logan found himself taking a step back to register this new environment.

“Logan,” Scott’s voice called out to him when Logan turned away from the tree to discover Scott dressed in the same uniform that the wooden soldiers were wearing except his costume also included his golden visor that he’d been given prior to their journey together.

“Slim, what are you…?” Logan questioned looking down to discover that he too was holding a rifle and dressed in the same toy soldier uniform looking equally as out of place as he’d been in his toga. Unlike the toga however the uniform served as a tight, restrictive material over his skin forcing him into a distinctly rigid posture when Logan realized that Scott had the same rifle the wooden soldiers outside were carrying slung over his arm, holding it with white gloved hands before he lowered his arm to set the rifle down on the ground beside him.

“Apparently within the walls of this castle it is the holiday season free from the darkness this part of the island has been shrouded with,” Scott nodded to the oversized tree before them. He took a small step forward, tilting his head up to take in the ornaments that Logan had admired moments earlier, “Sanja’s mind really knows no limitations and…”

“I get it,” Logan shrugged taking in his surroundings once again. He scanned the room discovering that the presents underneath the tree extended well beyond the tree itself piled up to almost the ceiling at his right and on the other side on the far end of the room was a brick fireplace with red and green colored stockings hanging from the mantle, “Kids like Christmas, but still…there has to be a point where…”

“Logan watch out,” Scott rushed forward pushing Logan out of the way when the sound of jingling bells rang out overhead. With Scott’s movement, however, Logan found himself down on the cool, multicolored marble floor with Scott over him. Logan tipped his head up just in time to watch a red and gold sleigh led by a group of reindeer sweep over them, barely avoiding a collision with them as Scott lay over Logan stretched out and protecting Logan from the impending disaster.

“What the...They’d better not poop on us,” Logan balked involuntarily curling his arm around Scott’s waist to hold Scott above him tighter than before.

“I don’t think that they…” Scott began preparing to say something more when there was a loud, popping thud just beyond where they lay on the floor together. On instinct Logan rolled to his side taking Scott with him to avoid the impending disaster that the flying deer could bring to the situation.

“Damn it,” Logan cursed with a snarl, using his weight to cover Scott’s body. A few seconds later the room was filled with a low popping sound causing Logan to tense up and fear that the toy soldiers had found them intruding upon the holiday world that Sanja had created.

“It’s okay Logan,” Scott’s arm curled into Logan’s shoulder gripping him tightly. For a second time stood still as Logan raised his head up to discover Scott sprawled out on the ground beneath him. Unable to resist smiling, Logan realized that Scott’s dark hair was peppered with loose glitter and multicolor metallic confetti sprinkles that had been spread out on the marble flooring beneath him. In that instant with the hint of laughter on his lips, Logan realized that Scott never looked more beautiful and carefree. Without a word, Logan reached out to touch the side of Scott’s face, using his thumb to brush away the red metallic confetti that had attached itself to his smooth skin. At first his lips parted preparing to question the action, but soon Logan swept the colorful debris from Scott’s cheek. Picking up on Logan’s intention, Scott finally smiled up at him, “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” Logan slurred in a low, heated whisper. Unable to refrain from touching Scott, Logan began sliding his thumb over the hollow of Scott’s cheekbone, dipping down to trace his jawline before finally settling in over his plump bottom lip.

“Logan?” Scott questioned expelling a warm breath. His chest rose and fell with the action causing him to tremble as Logan’s gloved thumb brushed tenderly over the surface of Scott’s ever so kissable lips.

“Slim,” Logan whispered with words vibrating over the warmth of Scott’s lips. He could feel the heat of Scott’s breath beneath him, could sense the urgency in the shallow pant that spilled out from Scott’s mouth into his. Wordlessly he dipped forward his lips barely grazing the sensitive skin of Scott’s plump, parted lips, guiding Scott into temptation when the loud thumping sound of hooves and bells overhead brought them back to the moment in the oversized room surrounded by Sanja’s holiday haven.

“Logan…” Scott breathed raggedly as a blush carried over his flushed features.

“Right,” Logan cleared his throat and groaned outwardly forcing himself to abandon his thoughts of temptation, “Reindeer poop.”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just…” Scott started to explain before the sound of one of the reindeer hitting an ornament on the tree caused him to lose focus. Turning his head towards the source of the sound, Scott let out a shudder when the reindeer guided sleigh swooped down towards them before dipping out through the oversized double doors framed by candy canes across the archway, “Never mind, we should probably move.”

“Right,” Logan replied tilting his head towards the source of the sound to make a discovery about the reindeer deposits beside them. With a puzzled expression on his face, he realized that there was an oversized pile of multicolored gummy candy stuck to the floor beside them, “Gumdrops? Slim, did they just poop out gumdrops?”

“It isn’t for us to understand,” Scott rolled off Logan and sprung up to his feet again. With a newfound determination he dusted the glitter off of his uniform before he held his hand out to help Logan up, “We just need to find Sanja and…”

“How do you propose that we do that now that we’re stuck in Candyland with gumdrop pooping reindeer and…” Logan paused looking up to discover a string of tiny ballerinas with translucent, iridescent wings flying around their heads, buzzing around in the air in a dance to a quiet melody that surrounded them, “sugar plum fairies?”

“This is his safe place,” Scott explained linking his fingers with Logan’s.

“No, I get that, but gumdrops? Seriously?” Logan found himself focusing on the oversized deposit that the reindeer had left near them a few seconds earlier.

“We aren’t here to question it Logan,” Scott mused with a shake of his head when Logan couldn’t help, but focus on the pile before him, “Don’t think of trying to eat it either.”

“I wasn’t,” Logan shrugged catching the doubtful expression on Scott’s face when he looked to the gumdrop pile before him once again. Feeling the weight of Scott’s gaze upon him, Logan looked over at Scott once more, “Seriously.”

“Right,” Scott fought to suppress another laugh when his face grew suddenly serious, “We just have to navigate our way through this world to find Sanja and…”

“No, I get that, but I mean come on,” Logan threw his hands up in the air and groaned, “you have to admit that this is a little strange even for a child…”

“Perhaps,” Scott shrugged weighing out Logan’s words, “but the limitations the mind puts upon us as adults aren’t the same constraints that we are bound by as children.”

“I’m not saying that they are the same, but come on,” Logan motioned to the pile of gumdrops again, “You can’t tell me that this one doesn’t seem strange. I mean to think up something like this when…”

“Perhaps it is a far more savory solution than the alternative,” Scott offered up with an amused shake of his head, “You’re just upset because you were hoping they’d piss out beer instead.”

“That’s disgusting,” Logan paused contemplating the suggestion, “Do you think they could do that?”

“Let’s truly hope not,” Scott groaned outwardly before extending his arm out towards Logan.

“Good point,” Logan decided with a wrinkled expression on his face. Reaching out he took Scott’s fingers in his, allowing Scott to guide him in closer.

A moment later Logan was standing before Scott catching the way that Scott’s face was illuminated by the tree’s lights beside them. There in a bright, colorful, happy place that Sanja had conjured up, Logan realized that Scott had never looked more beautiful than he did smiling down at Logan with a laugh threatening to reveal itself at the ridiculousness of their surroundings. However, just as soon as it appeared, it tapered back to a neutral expression leaving them back at square one in looking for the powerful mutant child.

“This seems like hell on Earth to me,” Logan joked watching as a tiny train circled around the tree beside them. He sidestepped away from it taking in the holiday themed music before he looked over at Scott again, “You’re enjoying this.”

“Maybe a little bit,” Scott confessed turning his attention to the tree and the dancing fairies above their heads, “There’s something a bit magical about a child’s imagination.”

“Is that what we’re calling it?” Logan questioned spotting another token of the holiday theme just beyond where he and Scott stood with one another. Unable to resist taking it in, Logan tugged on Scott’s arm dragging him further away from the tree and closer to the place he’d spotted seconds earlier.

“Logan, what are you…?” Scott started to question when he realized that Logan was looking above them. Without a second thought, Scott tilted his head upward following Logan’s gaze to reveal the mistletoe that dangled above the two of them, tied together by a vine growing out of the ceiling that was covered in holiday lights.

“Even in a place where the rules no longer apply, we can’t break tradition, now can we?” Logan smirked wildly, wrapping his strong arm around Scott’s lean, toned body. Drawing Scott in against his chest, Logan reached out coaxing Scott to bridge the distance between them as their lips came together in a tantalizing tease of a kiss. At first Logan paced himself, guiding his tongue into Scott’s sweet warmth and taking in the sweet scent of freshly baked gingerbread houses and vanilla frosting that surrounded them, but soon he was surrounded by the intoxicating taste of Scott against him, opening himself further to the kiss. With arms sliding around Scott’s waist and up over Scott’s spine, Logan rose on his toes refusing to sever the connection between them when the sound of the train bell ringing caused a now flushed Scott to pull away from the kiss.

“I think that’s our cue to keep moving,” Scott’s blush intensified. He reached for Logan’s hand holding it for a few lingering seconds before he let out a long sigh, “Time isn’t on our side in all of this.”

“No, I suppose it isn’t,” Logan agreed turning around to discover the boy he’d met on the beach now seated on a plush red throne before them dressed in blue and gold Bugs Bunny pajamas. His feet were covered by matching Bugs Bunny slippers with dangling ears extending out beyond his feet. In his hand he held an oversized, bright red lollypop. With a giggle he pushed his tongue out to reveal that it had stained his tongue as well now that he sat atop of the Christmas themed room. With a giggle he wiggled his toes causing the rabbit ears on his slippers to bounce with the movement.

“Happy holidays!” Sanja beamed enthusiastically, “It’s so good to see you found your way here! I was hoping you would see the light and join me.”

“Sanja,” Scott’s voice greeted the child with warmth. He stepped forward placing himself between Logan and Sanja and smiled up at the boy, “I was wondering when you would come to speak with us.”

“Mr. Cyclops!” Sanja squealed excitedly. He lowered his lollipop from his lips before waving his hand around in the air to beckon Scott towards him, “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you,” Scott answered focusing on the small boy before him, “The last time we saw each other, I told you to stay with my brother Alex until I returned again.”

“I know that you made me promise and believe me I tried to stay with your brother Mr. Cyclops like you told me to do, but I really didn’t like being in Vegas,” Sanja’s smile faded when he set the oversized lollypop down on a silver tray beside his throne, “It was too hot and scary out there…”

“I can understand how it would feel that way, but Alex was going to take you to my home so you could be safe, remember?” Scott questioned making a small step towards the golden staircase before the throne Sanja was on, “We talked about how I could take you to meet my family where you could be safe again.”

“I remember,” Sanja nodded poignantly, “You said that they would help me. You promised that Alex would help keep me safe.”

“He would,” Scott nodded accordingly, “which is why I was disappointed to hear that you didn’t stay with him after I asked you to do so. He promised to look after you for me until I could return and…”

“I know that you told me that, but I…I just couldn’t do that,” Sanja sighed outwardly, “I wanted to, but…”

“But what? Sanja, what happened?” Scott questioned in a smooth and patient tone as he carefully approached the small boy.

“Nothing really,” Sanja shrugged shifting on his seat, “It’s just…”

“Just what?” Scott asked in a low, welcoming voice.

“It’s just that well, your family sounds nice Mr. Cyclops, but I couldn’t go away with you and your brother not when I needed to be here,” Sanja answered with big brown eyes. His lips curved downward in the beginnings of a scowl when he seemed to contemplate his words, “I really wanted to go to your home with you, but when you were gone and Alex was watching me I met Mr. Atlas. He told me that instead of going to meet your family that I could go with him here and meet his. He said that he could help me—that he could show me what really happened to my family...”

“So, Atlas brought you here when I left?” Scott questioned watching the small boy nod, “How did he find you?”

“When Alex took me out to eat at that place with the endless food, he was there. I was getting a second helping of ice-cream when he found me. At first, I didn’t want to talk to him because I knew he was a stranger, but after he knew my name and told me that he knew my parents, I started to listen to him. He told me that I could see them again and that every day could be like Christmas if I let him take me to his home,” Sanja’s eyes sparkled with joy and hope that only a small child could contain as Logan watched the exchange between Scott and the boy, “He said if I could help him fix his home and make it better, then he could help me find my family and help me be with my mom again.”

“Sanja,” Scott’s face was divided by the truth he’d told Logan about Sanja’s mother’s death and the boy’s innocence. With a sigh, Scott moved up the stairs attempting to bridge the distance between him and the child, “I know that you are sad and that you miss your mom, but the truth is that Atlas is not going to help you find…”

“I don’t miss my mom and I’m not sad Mr. Cyclops,” Sanja shook his head and grinned widely. With enthusiasm in his movement he reached for the lollypop again bringing it to his mouth for an overzealous taste of the sweet treat, “Not anymore.”

“Why is that Sanja?” Scott questioned as Logan took in their surroundings surveying the room in the hopes of discovering the one man who’d brought them to this strange place.

“Because Mr. Atlas kept his promise and she’s here with me now.”

“So, you’re saying that…” Scott’s face dropped with astonishment revealing a moment of surprise before quickly recovering, “Your mother is…”

“Here,” Sanja dark eyes beamed with enthusiasm as he clarified once again, “Mr. Atlas was right that she doesn’t have to be away from me any longer. When he brought me here to help him with his game, we made a deal. He gave me my mom back and we can live in the Christmas place together forever now.”

“Sanja…” Scott began again preparing to say something more when a petite dark-haired woman stepped into the room beside the throne where Sanja sat.

“Darling dinner is almost ready Sanja,” the woman explained in a quiet, timid voice. She lowered her head as she moved in towards the throne and greeted Sanja with a pat on his head and a warm embrace. She leaned down to kiss the top of his head before touching his tiny cheek, “It is your favorite. You don’t want to be late.”

“I won’t be,” Sanja giggled as she turned her attention to Scott and Logan in the room.

“Oh! I didn’t realize that we had company Sanja,” his mother gasped taking a protective step in closer to her son, “You didn’t tell me that you were having friends over tonight.”

“This is my friend Mr. Cyclops and his friend Mr. Wolverine,” Sanja explained flashing Logan a wide grin as well, “They are visiting with Mr. Atlas on his island playing his games, but they decided that they wanted to come and see me instead of staying with him.”

“Oh good,” his mother noted barely giving Scott and Logan a second thought, “I will set two more place settings at dinner for them.”

“Thanks mom,” Sanja waved as his mother exited the room almost as readily as she’d entered it. Once she was gone, Sanja stretched out across the throne letting out a small yawn when he dipped his fingers into a bowl of chocolates that was on the table beside him, “You want to stay with us for dinner, don’t you? My mom makes the best meals. She cooks all of my favorites anytime I ask and she always lets me share with my friends when they come over to visit me, which isn’t too often, but when they do oh the fun we have with one another.”

“We’d love to have dinner with you Sanja. It sounds like your mother is a wonderful cook and I would love to meet her after all the wonderful things you’ve said about her,” Scott answered with a warm smile.

“She would like to meet you too,” Sanja answered with a giggle, “She always has fun when my friends are here. We can play games and have a sleepover if you want. I love sleepovers after all and…”

“I’m sure we can do that,” Scott’s voice held a lingering hesitation, “Although I have to ask, is Mr. Atlas joining us today?”

“No,” Sanja shook his head firmly. At the mention of Atlas, he sat upright with a frown carrying over his features, “He’s too busy with his games to see me and my mom like he used to do when we first arrived. He used to be with us all the time, but now he never comes over for dinner anymore.”

“But he used to, yes?” Scott prompted him further.

“At first he did. He used to play with me a lot when we first got here. We would talk about his world and how he needed my help fixing it for his games. He told me how I could help him be a hero here if I promised to help him make things good again. He told me if I did that, then I could have anything I wanted,” Sanja nodded enthusiastically.

“Including this place that you created,” Scott motioned to the room around them, “You did create this, didn’t you Sanja?”

“With the help of Mr. Atlas I made it better,” Sanja answered readily, “I just thought about it really hard and…”

“Then you made it happen,” Logan finished breaking his long silence. He took a small step forward watching as Scott held his fingers up behind his back to keep Logan at bay for a little bit longer. Seeing Scott’s movement, Logan took a small step back, “You did a lot of work here Sanja.”

“But it was totally worth it,” Sanja added brightly, “It wasn’t very hard to think about it and when I did, well, it all came out of my head and became all of this. You like it, don’t you?”

“We like it very much,” Scott smiled up at the boy, “but what about Mr. Atlas? Did he like it?”

“Not as much as he likes his games,” Sanja frowned in response, “Back when it was just me and my mom he would always stop by to talk to me, but then when he asked me to help him build his game, he stopped being my friend. Once he had the people come to play his game with him, he stopped coming over to be with his other friends.”

“What kind of game was he playing with his other friends?” Logan inquired again moving towards the bottom of the stairs.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Sanja wrinkled his nose at Logan’s question, “I don’t like his games. They aren’t any fun.”

“I’m sure you don’t Sanja, but we need to ask you about Mr. Atlas,” Scott attempted to recapture the boy’s attention, “We need to know what kind of games he asked you to help him with.”

“Grown up games,” Sanja shrugged, “Boring stuff that only grownups could do.”

“Like what?” Scott questioned curiously.

“Things I don’t want to talk about,” Sanja turned away from Scott. He reached for his lollipop again bringing it to his lips and taking a long, dramatic lick, “After a while he didn’t tell me about the games. He just asked me to make places for him to have them take place.”

“What kind of places?” Scott asked again.

“The kind that grown ups play,” Sanja looked at him once again, “You know what I mean…”

“I really don’t,” Scott offered up moving in closer to Sanja again, “When he brought the other people here like he did with us what kind of games did he ask you to make for him to play with them?”

“Angry grown up games,” Sanja answered with a tiny shudder, “He wanted to hurt people with the games, but I didn’t want to hurt anyone.”

“I know you didn’t,” Scott replied smoothly, “I know that you are a good boy Sanja.”

“I try to be. I swear that I didn’t know that he brought you here at first Mr. Cyclops,” Sanja confessed with a worried expression on his face, “When he told me that he had you here to play his games, I tried to tell him that you needed to go home to your brother. I said that Alex wouldn’t be happy that he had you here, but he wouldn’t listen to me. He said that you wanted to be here playing with him because you were going to be the best player.”

“What kind of game did he want me to play?” Scott questioned tensing up at the small boy’s confession, “The same kind of grown up games he made his other friends play?”

Sanja looked away from him, “He wanted you to help fight the war. He told me that you liked it here and that you were only pretending to be his prisoner, but I know you were scared when he made you forget who you were. When he had you in his castle staying with him as his guest with no memory of Alex or your family, I could see how sad you were. He wouldn’t let me talk to you after I saw you there, but do you remember the day I snuck in to see you when you were in his dungeon?”

“I’m afraid that I don’t,” Scott answered in a smooth, patient tone, “What did we talk about?”

“Mr. Atlas told me that you were very bad—that you weren’t playing by the rules so he had to punish you,” Sanja confessed with a painful expression on his face, “He said you wouldn’t play fair, so he asked me to take away your powers.”

“My…my powers…” Scott repeated when Sanja lowered his head shamefully.

“He told me that if you didn’t have your powers, then you would be willing to play by his rules,” Sanja divulged quietly, “but I knew that I couldn’t hurt you like that Mr. Cyclops. I told him no and he got very mad at me. He told me that he would take my mom away if I didn’t…”

“It’s okay,” Scott moved in closer to the boy, “I understand that you were scared…”

“I was, but I wouldn’t do it,” Sanja admitted quietly, “I only told him that I would do it, but really I lied to him. I made him think that I took your powers away from you when he broke your glasses, but…”

“You let me keep them,” Scott finished for the small boy, “You let him think that you had taken them from me, but…”

“I just pretended and when you were in his dungeon that I promised that they would come back to you once you played his game. I promised you that you would have them again and when you did that you would be stronger than ever. I said that you would beat his game and now that you have…”

“I haven’t quite beaten it yet Sanja,” Scott explained quietly, “but if you tell me about what we talked about in the dungeon maybe you can help me remember and…”

“You asked me to bring Mr. Wolverine here to find you,” Sanja answered earnestly, “You told me that only he could help you find your way back home again. You said without him you wouldn’t be able to beat the game because Mr. Atlas was the one who was really cheating. You said that only Mr. Wolverine could help you win.”

“So, you sent me the invitation to the island?” Logan’s eyes widened with surprise at the thought of the cryptic invitation he’d received in Las Vegas.

“I told Mr. Atlas about it, but not in the way that I told the truth. I twisted the truth like you asked me to Mr. Cyclops….” Sanja’s gaze lowered to the floor, refusing to look back at Cyclops again, “I told him that when we were alone together that you told me that Mr. Wolverine was coming to destroy him. I told him that he was in danger because Mr. Wolverine would keep looking for you until he found you and that Mr. Atlas would pay for what he did. He said that he wasn’t worried about Mr. Wolverine.”

“That was his first mistake,” Logan quipped under his breath.

“What happened when you told him that Sanja?” Scott questioned.

“He didn’t care. He laughed at me for saying it, but then when I told him how strong Mr. Wolverine was, he said that he needed a new player in his game. He said that the last one left unexpectedly and he needed someone else to take his place. I told him that Mr. Wolverine didn’t want to play any games with him. I told him what you told me to say about having Mr. Wolverine making his way to find you, but he wouldn’t listen. He didn’t believe that he was in any kind of real danger. Instead he told me that he couldn’t wait to have Mr. Wolverine out here to make him play the game like you were going to do. I did what you asked, but then he made me help him bring Mr. Wolverine into his game and…”

“It’s okay Sanja,” Scott softened his tone, “I know that what happened wasn’t your fault.”

“I didn’t want to help him force you into playing,” Sanja spoke up reluctantly, “but he said it was the only way I could live here with my mom. He told me as long as I helped him make you play, then he would let us both be safe here.”

“So, he promised you bring your mom to you if you helped him find players for his game you were building for him?” Logan questioned making a small move in closer to Sanja.

Sanja nodded.

“So you helped him create the world outside the walls of this castle while you were safe here with your…mother…,” Logan pondered thinking about what he’d entered into when he’d received the mysterious invitation, “He told you to bring other people here and then he promised that he would help you find your mom?”

“I already told you that. He did bring my mom to me. You saw her,” Sanja pointed out with a scowl. He sat up straighter in his seat and looked down at Logan with a frown, “She’s here with me now. We can be here together forever and I’m safe. Everything is good now.”

“Sanja,” Scott opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to rethink the gesture before finally nodding, “I’m glad that Mr. Atlas could help you find your mom again, but we need your help now.”

“With what?” Sanja questioned apprehensively turning his attention to Cyclops, “The game?”

“We don’t want to play the game anymore Sanja,” Scott answered readily, “but you already know that, don’t you?”

“I told Mr. Atlas that, but he won’t listen,” Sanja confessed quietly, “Even now if he knew that I let you break his rules to see me like this…”

“We need to get back home to my family,” Scott explained softening his tone when he tilted his head towards Logan. When Logan opened his mouth to say something further, Scott held his hand up in the air silently warning Logan to stay quiet for the moment, “Sanja my brother is very worried about me and I need to get back to him. The longer that we are here playing the games that Mr. Atlas has had you make for him the sadder Alex will be. Do you remember the way that you felt when you were alone?”

“I do and I don’t want that, but Mr. Cyclops…”

“The games need to end Sanja,” Scott declared with a bold step forward, “Mr. Atlas is hurting people and the only way to stop that is to end the games before anyone else gets hurt.”

“I can’t do that Mr. Cyclops,” Sanja shook his head adamantly. He curled his tiny fists into balls at his side when he frowned, “Mr. Atlas oversees all of this and as long as he wants to play his games, I can’t let anyone go. I wish I could help you, but he will take my mom away from me if I don’t do what he wants.”

“We won’t let him take your mom away,” Scott offered up in a smooth and even voice, “If you just let us help you Sanja…”

“I can’t do it Mr. Cyclops,” Sanja shook his head and frowned. He reached for a stuffed teddy bear that was set up beside where he was perched upon his throne. He hugged it to his chest tightly as if keeping it close to him was his lifeline, “I have to let Mr. Atlas do what he wants here. Those are the rules!”

“Right now, Mr. Atlas is playing a very dangerous game. He has people fighting outside of the castle hurting each other,” Logan spoke up against Scott’s urgings with a frown of his own, “There are people at war and…”

“The bad gods are against them,” Sanja replied earnestly. He turned his focus to Logan before squeezing the bear in his arms tighter than before, “I know. They are at war right now and no one will be happy until they leave the game.”

“Then you know about the people getting hurt,” Scott interjected moving in closer to stand before the boy.

“I don’t want to talk about that,” Sanja replied tipping his head down to look at the bunny slippers on his feet. He wiggled his toes causing the ears to bounce with his movements.

“I know that you don’t Sanja, but we can’t ignore the fact that people are getting hurt right now,” Scott explained in a patient tone. He moved up to the top step carefully crossing the threshold to stand before Sanja’s throne. In a slow, tentative movement he knelt before the boy and spoke up in a soothing voice, “I know that you are afraid of what could happen if you stand up to Mr. Atlas, but the people that Mr. Atlas is playing games with are getting hurt.”

“I don’t want them hurt,” Sanja answered quietly, “but I don’t want to lose my mom.”

“Then let Mr. Wolverine and I help you,” Scott pleaded with the small boy leaving Logan to watch the exchange between them. Although Scott had always had a reputation for being closed off emotionally, there was something about watching his exchange with the small boy that got Logan thinking about the softer side of the man he loved.

“I don’t think you can,” Sanja confessed raising his chin up to reveal tear-filled eyes, “Mr. Atlas will take my mom away if I stop the bad gods from fighting. He told me that he must get rid of the bad gods before the games can be fair again. Only then can he get things the way they need to be. He said if I don’t help him, then he will take my mom away.”

“We won’t let him,” Scott promised softening his tone, “If you just help us help you, then…”

“Mr. Atlas told me that the bad gods want to take the good goddess away from her mom,” Sanja replied with a quiver of his lower lip, “Just like people tried to take me from my mom by hurting her, the bad god wants to take the pretty goddess away from her mom forever. If he does that, then everything will be all wrong. Her mom will be sad and…”

“Is that what Mr. Atlas told you?” Scott questioned as Logan took in the scene before him.

“I read it in my book,” Sanja explained with a small shrug of his shoulders. He squeezed the teddy bear tighter than before until finally letting out a long shivering exhale, “Hades steals Miss Persephone from her mom just like the bad people tried to take my mom from me. When they tried to take me away, it hurt my mom and if I let Hades take Miss Persephone it will hurt her mom very much. Mr. Atlas and I can’t let that happen. We must keep her safe. Even if she gets mad at us, it is the only way to keep her safe from him.”

“Sanja I…” Scott glanced over his shoulder at Logan once again, not quite sure what to say to comfort the boy. Without a word Logan moved to the steps taking his time to make the climb until finally he stood before Scott and Sanja watching the tiny boy reach out to embrace Scott readily.

“I don’t want them to take my mom away again,” Sanja cried leaving Logan wondering if Atlas had warped the boy’s mind to the point of no return. Now as he and Scott stood in the center of the holiday castle with the small child conflicted in his role over creating the world outside the walls of the castle, Logan found himself fearing for the future ahead of him and Scott. Somehow with the promise of Sanja’s mom at his side, Logan feared that the boy would never find it in him to help them find their way home.

* * *

  
  
“Thank you for a delicious meal,” Scott offered up turning his focus to the woman who sat at the far end of the oversized table across from him. Although she had prepared the meal for them, she hadn’t spoken much during the meal. Instead she sat there patiently, quietly eating her own serving before bringing out a chocolate and Oreo dessert that she’d prepared for them.

“You’re very welcome,” she smiled politely, but there was something behind her eyes that Logan couldn’t ignore. They were dark and pleasant, but devoid of that spark of life that had been present in others he’d encountered in the past. Instead they felt cold and hollow when her upturned lips seemed forced into the moment giving him a sense of uneasiness beyond what he’d experienced in first approaching the castle.

“My mom is the best cook,” Sanja boasted before pushing an oversized spoonful of the chocolate and cookie concoction into his mouth. In his movement, he left a trace of the chocolate upon his cheek near the corner of his mouth, but he seemed unbothered by it when he pushed his spoon into the heaping pile of dessert once again.

“She’s very good at it,” Scott agreed motioning to his dish as well, “This must’ve taken you quite some time in preparing this meal for tonight.”

“No more time than usual,” she answered in a pleasant enough tone, but Logan could see something was different about her. Her posture was tense, her body rigid, but as Sanja watched her expectantly, she pushed her spoon into the dessert and raised it to her lips to take a bite of it herself, “Sanja loves this meal. We have it almost every night.”

“Every night?” Logan raised a curious brow turning his attention to Scott again when it was clear that the world that they’d entered was every bit as much of a nightmare for Sanja’s mother as it was for them. The scent of fear surrounded the petite woman taking her from a false sense of security to a darkness looming in the air around them. Something was wrong—something terrible, but as Sanja talked to Scott boasting about his train down by the oversized Christmas tree, Logan found himself wondering if they would truly find a way out of the nightmare that they’d found themselves in with one another.

“I don’t mind,” the woman hastily replied, “Anything that makes my boy happy makes me happy, isn’t that right dear?”

“Sure,” Sanja answered poking at his dessert once again. He pulled a heaping spoon into his mouth and swallowed down hard. When the bite didn’t settle as smoothly as he’d hoped, he spit it out and coughed, “What was that?”

“What was what darling?” Sanja’s mother questioned worriedly. She sprung up from her chair, moving around the table to touch his shoulder, “What is wrong?”

“There are chocolate chips in this,” Sanja scoffed shaking his head and pushing his spoon down into the remainder of the dessert, “I told you that I don’t want chocolate chips in this.”

“Honey, you love chocolate chips. You told me the other day that you thought you would love this more with chocolate chips in it,” her voice waivered with uncertainty as Logan frowned observing the exchange.

“I don’t want chocolate chips in this. It ruins everything!” Sanja snapped raising his voice. He tipped his head up and glared at her, “You don’t want to run everything, do you?”

“No honey….” she answered apologetically. She reached out for the discarded bowl before him, “I can take this away and get you a new one. I promise the next one will be much better.”

“No,” Sanja shook his head and scowled, “I don’t want it anymore. You ruined it for me.”

“Sanja, how about you show me that train again?” Scott suggested redirecting the boy’s voice when Logan’s focus shifted to Scott once again.

“I can help Sanja’s mom clean up dishes,” Logan offered up watching as the small boy sprung up from his chair. He walked over to Scott holding his hand out and seizing it before leading Scott out of the room and giving Logan the opportunity to speak with Sanja’s mother alone.

“Thank you for dinner. It was a very nice treat considering what we’ve been exposed to outside of the castle. You would not believe what…” Logan started preparing to enter into small talk when the woman turned to him with terrified eyes.

“You have to get me out of here,” she whispered desperately as she sank back down into her seat once again, “You have to help me find a way out of this.”

“This castle?” Logan questioned watching as the woman’s trembling fingers on the tabletop caused the spoon on her place to vibrate and create a ticking sound.

“This world,” she explained tearfully. She bit down on her lower lip before looking over to the doorway that Scott and Sanja walked through, “I need to get away from this horrible place. I can’t bear the thought of being stuck in this madness any longer…”

“But your son,” Logan began watching as the woman before him shifted her eyes. She took in a dull, defeated breath before transforming from the vision of the dark-haired woman before him to a younger woman with pink translucent skin and royal blue colored hair. Her eyes were bright green reminiscent of a cat’s when her lower lip quivered with fear.

“That boy isn’t my son,” she whispered shifting on her seat before him, “All of this is nothing more than an illusion created by a madman to appease the little monster he’s kept captive in his grasp.”

“But…” Logan’s jaw dropped when he watched her reach up to push her hair away from her eyes.

“It’s all a lie,” she confessed dejectedly, “Atlas brought me here as his prisoner and told me that he would murder my family if I didn’t comply to his demands in keeping that little beast at bay.”

“You’re a shifter,” Logan concluded watching as a single tear slipped past her cheek.

She nodded before drawing in a breath, “Atlas found me hiding out after a group of terrorists came to our home looking for me. My family and I were hiding out in the desert zone off the grid when he arrived. He promised us hope, but he was worse than they were. He came into our home and took us away from everything we knew. Once we arrived in this wretched place, he me away from my family while holding them captive in his dungeons away from the rest of the players in his game. He holds them captive as he forces me to do his bidding.”

“Because of your powers,” Logan deduced watching her nod again when she reached out to wipe at her tear, “He wants you to entertain the boy while…”

“He’s siphoning the boy’s powers to create this world where he can rule with unbridled power,” the woman offered up with a shiver rocking over her petite form, “He knows that this is the only way for him to accomplish his end game. If Sanja is happy, then Atlas can build this war between Hades and Persephone watching it grow and flourish until nothing, but destruction follows. Once he is successful in destroying them both and eradicating their grip on this world, then the door is wide open for him to take control of Olympus and dethrone Zeus.”

“So, this is all about becoming the supreme ruler of the gods?” Logan questioned taking in the woman’s words.

“In this world Zeus has ultimate power and if Atlas can overthrow Hades to find his way to that power…” her words tapered off when sadness flashed behind her eyes, “In his thirst for power, he’s entered into a place where his destruction will only cause chaos. To destroy the gods could bring about our undoing. Life as we know it…”

“What?” Logan questioned seeing her shake before him.

“Are you a religious man Mr. Wolverine?” she questioned looking over to him once again. Raising her chin up, her sad eyes found his through the weight of tension in the room between them.

“I’m not,” Logan confessed watching her hands trembling, “but someone very close to me has always held his faith in high regard.”

“Faith means nothing to the world around if should Atlas prove successful in his quest to destroy all of this,” she cautioned with a shake of her head, “I imagine that this all sounds strange to you given that we were led to believe that none of this was real.”

“So, you’re saying this is real?” Logan’s eyes widened with surprise, “I thought that Sanja’s powers were to shape a world in his thoughts. I was led to believe that his arrival allowed Atlas the opportunity to create all these constructs and…”

“In many ways Sanja can control the doors to other worlds—to other universes if you will,” she informed him with a small, nervous breath, “His powers are limitless as he is the key to opening up a window to other dimensions and worlds that we were not meant to find. It is how Atlas was able to enter into my world and pull me to this horrible place.”

“Then you’re saying that you’re…” Logan paused taking in her words.

“Not from this place or of your world,” she replied drawing in a breath before returning to the skin of Sanja’s mother once again, “Sanja does not fully understand his strength or his power just yet, but the things he can do…”

“In opening the doors that he has?” Logan arched a curious brow.

“Should he open too many doors at once and shift the realities, then life as we know it could cease to exist. Everything we know and love could ultimately fade into obscurity becoming nothingness much like what you witnessed earlier tonight on your way up to this castle,” she explained clearing her throat when the distance behind her dark eyes became unbearable.

“You mean that you know that…” Logan’s eyes widened with surprise.

“For a moment you slipped into the nothingness,” she continued to explain to him, “You and your partner felt it’s dark grip upon this world seeing what could happen should the cracks begin to crumble. For now it can still hold itself together, but with a more distinct interruption…”

“Then the world and time will unravel,” Logan finished knowingly, “Tonight was about Sanja stopping it all…”

“He was trying to hide your arrival from Atlas,” she answered with a small nod, “and in doing so he’s began to shift the dynamics of this world around us. He doesn’t feel it slipping away, but with each passing day his powers are draining out into Atlas. He becomes weaker while Atlas becomes stronger and the boy inside…”

“What?” Logan watched her trembling once again.

“He slips into a selfish state of madness,” she continued to reveal to him, “That boy is cruel and horrible in ways that no person should experience.”

“He’s a brat sure, but…” Logan thought back to the child’s outburst with her a short while earlier.

“He erased a housekeeper from existence a week ago all because the woman hadn’t folded his linen properly,” she confessed with an air of distain, “What child does that?”

“One that is confused and manipulated by…” Logan offered up in suggestion.

“Atlas may be pulling his strings, but that boy is pure evil,” she leaned in over the top of the table, “I feel it in my bones and the longer we keep up this illusion the harder it will be to break free for us all.”

“Look, I really wish that I could offer up some easy answer to you, but…” Logan found himself at a loss when he remembered the mission that Hades had set out before him.

“As long as the boy is happy, then he does as Atlas pleases in shaping the world the way that Atlas wants it to be,” she sighed in frustration, “He can control and manipulate others around him while creating a new universe where the others may converse and bend to the will of Atlas.”

“I thought you said he opened up a door to existing ones,” Logan pondered her words as the weight of the situation hung over his head.

“He has, but beyond that Atlas has found us all from a great many universes drawing the energy and power of each place into this new world he created. With each universe he taps into, he finds a deeper strength, using Sanja to further his quest for madness. With every open door he becomes closer to becoming the god he pretends to be, but for the rest of us who are caught up in his madness he brings us here to be a pawn in his game. He has put us into this world where only pain and suffering follow. He has stolen our freedom and placed us into a situation where…”

“The gods and goddesses reign supreme,” Logan leaned in over the top of the table.

“He wishes to be a god himself,” she offered up pushing her trembling hand into her hair, “and what better place to rule than at the top of Olympus wielding the power of Zeus.”

“Yeah, okay I get that he thinks that might be in his future, but at the same time, I don’t quite understand how Atlas fits into this war if he is standing on the sidelines whispering in Sanja’s ear,” Logan replied watching her shift in her seat once again, “What does he stand to gain if Persephone overtakes Hades in their war? Wouldn’t she be the one to control Olympus if she wins this war? Even if he has subliminal influence, she is a ruthless ruler that…”

“The woman you have met on your journey is a false goddess. The true Persephone is held captive in Atlas’s castle far from the world she was stolen from,” she informed him with a shift of her dark eyes, “He abducted her from her world right before she and Hades were destined to have their first encounter with one another. Knowing of her power and influence, he convinced Sanja to help him free her from the influence that Hades had over her. Atlas manipulated the boy into stripping her of her powers and keeping her captive away from the world around her in order to incite this war. In her absence he placed an imposter in her position much like he did with me and…”

“You’re saying that Persephone is not…?”

“A goddess?” she finished with a knowing laugh, “Far from it. She is simply a mortal like the rest of us desperately in love with Atlas and playing her role in his twisted game…”

“…working with Atlas to tear this world apart,” Logan realized thinking about the mission Hades had given him to destroy the false goddess.

“Now you’re getting it. She intends to destroy your companion once he brings her and Atlas to power,” the woman informed him solemnly, “Once she overthrows Hades, then together they will destroy all those who oppose them.”

“Even Sanja,” Logan realized tilting his head to look at her once again.

“The boy has so much power, but his love for his family has been used to manipulate him thus far and drain him,” she continued with a sniffle, “It is what Atlas uses to keep him at bay while he holds Persephone prisoner in his fortress.”

“So then Sanja knows that the real Persephone is held captive?”

“He’s aware of her presence in the prison, but Atlas has twisted his thoughts in leading the boy to believe that she is safe away from the rest of the world,” she explained tapping her fingers on the table top nervously, “He believes that in helping Atlas build her prison that one day he will be able to reunite her with her mother again without fear of Hades being in the way of that reunion much like he believes he has with his own mother.”

“It’s all a lie,” Logan scowled curling his fingers into fists, “All of this…”

“Couldn’t be anything more than a nightmare created by a man who needs to be stopped by any means possible,” she appealed to him once again, “In being here I’ve heard stories about your great battles Mr. Wolverine. I know of the kind of destruction you are capable of when you are properly motivated.”

“I understand,” Logan nodded.

“Do you?” she questioned skeptically.

“You’re saying that Atlas needs to be destroyed and you want me to be the man to do it,” Logan contemplated her confession, “Although with Sanja being in control…”

“Once Sanja sees Atlas for what he is, then he will realize that this is all an illusion held together for an evil man’s quest for power. Perhaps in having his eyes opened once and for all the boy will finally recapture the missing piece of his soul and become whole again. He may be a monster now, but I have to question if it was the influence Atlas had over him that brought about the thing he has become. If somehow he could be free, then maybe there is still hope after all for the rest of us,” the woman divulged quietly when the sound of footsteps returning to the room caused her to lower her voice even further, “You have to help me escape. I can’t stay here for the rest of all eternity. To serve that child in the madness that surrounds all of us would be a fate far worse than death. To endure a lifetime of this day in and day out…”

“We’ll help you,” Logan promised reaching out to place his hand on top of hers on the table, “I don’t know how, but we will find a way out of this for all of us. We came here tonight looking for a way out of this and if taking out Atlas will bring that about, then you have my word that Scott and I will finish this. We will find a way to free you once and for all.”

“Please you must. Living this way is no life and we’re running out of time,” the woman added in a harsh whisper before rising to her feet. She collected the plates on the table before speaking dismissively, “There are dishes to be done.”

“Wait…” Logan called out to her again when Scott and Sanja returned to the room with a small train car in Sanja’s hand.

Turning toward the source of the sound, Logan found himself staring at the boy that his companion had been terrified of. He was so small and fragile looking, but in thinking about what he’d learned about the boy’s powers he found himself wondering if his disposition had played a hand in Scott’s hesitance to bring the boy back to the school. Knowing that the child was capable of a darkness that Atlas was manipulating, Logan found himself weighing out the words of those around him, hoping that there would be a simple solution to the nightmare he and Scott had inadvertently wound up becoming a part of.

“Where did my mom go?” Sanja questioned looking over Logan’s shoulder to the door on the opposite end of the room leading towards the kitchen.

“She wanted to finish with the dishes before it got too late,” Logan answered readily hoping to satisfy the boy’s curiosities.

“That makes sense,” Sanja nodded holding the train up in the air to Scott, “So what do you think? Should I make this red? I know that yellow is always a nice color as well, but there is something about red that just calls to me.”

“I think that…” Scott opened his mouth to say something more before looking to Logan again.

“Red sounds great kid,” Logan replied watching as the boy focused on the train again. Within a matter of seconds, the green train car was now a bright crimson color serving up as a reflection of the boy’s powers to shape the world around him.

“I think I’d like to see the whole thing in here on the table. Maybe in here we can get a better view of what it looks like running,” Sanja replied nodding towards the table when suddenly the train set that was underneath the tree appeared on the freshly cleared table top, moving around as if it had always been a part of the room serving as a bright and colorful centerpiece, “Yes, red is much nicer.”

“Sanja,” Logan cleared his throat and looked to the door the woman he’d been talking to had exited through, “I’m going to go check on your mom when you two play with that, okay?”

“Sure Mr. Wolverine,” Sanja replied walking over to the end of the table to set the new train car beside the tracks he’d manifested on the tabletop.

“I’ll be right back,” Logan looked to Scott again, offering up a small nod before exiting the room in search of the woman he’d been speaking with. However, instead of locating her, he noticed a darkened staircase beyond the room he’d exited. Looking over his shoulder, he realized that the doorway behind him had disappeared when fog began to spread and manifest at his feet. Looking up he realized that there was an opening in the wall ahead of him taking him from the castle to something much darker when he moved forward leaving the safety of the castle behind in favor of following the darkness. With each step Logan took, he felt his skin bristling, his senses on overload until finally he was standing on the beach again far from the place he’d entered with Scott. Instead of being a part of Sanja’s haven, he was staring off into the water watching as Hades pulled up before him with his grand chariot, ripping through the night with hellfire following behind his path. He was dressed in all black and his hair was auburn red, revealing the hot flames of the Phoenix. His chariot came to a halt on the edge of the shore and the man who had been at Hades’ side previously was rushing to the side door of the chariot. Within seconds he was down on his knees posing as a footstool for the king of the underworld as he emerged from the chariot in Jean Grey’s skin again.

“I sincerely hope you’ve made progress in the task I set out for you Logan,” his words held darkness behind them when Hades stepped forward. With each movement he made, Logan watched as the god of the underworld resembled the woman that he and Scott had spent years fighting over in the past. Now as he donned black leather and Jean’s skin, Hades seemed far more menacing than the Phoenix ever did when Hades reached out to touch Logan’s hand, “I trust the problem we’ve been having has been taken care of.”

“Not exactly,” Logan trembled against Hades’ touch feeling his skin bristling simultaneously with heat and an overwhelming chill. Drawing his hand back he looked to the god before him as he thought of what he’d learned in his journey with Cyclops, “but I have discovered that the false goddess is not your queen.”

“My queen,” Hades laughed uproariously. Throwing back the full head of crimson colored tresses, his laugh expanded with the bright red lips that he wore for their meeting, “How could you ever believe that such a false goddess would ever be worthy of being my queen?”

“You and Persephone were meant to be lovers—husband and wife even. In another time and place before a madman intervened you were fated for one another,” Logan explained moving in closer to Hades, “Before this world was twisted the two of you ruled the underworld together.”

“Impossible. I would never give the time of day to that false goddess let alone make her my queen,” Hades started to argue with him, “To do so would be a sign of weakness. She is my enemy and the only place for her is in destruction. With that false goddess…”

“Not the false goddess, but the true Persephone,” Logan prompted him further hoping to spark a memory in the dangerous god before him as he had with Scott earlier in his journey, “You and Persephone were fated to find one another and fall in love, but Atlas is trying to prevent your union to serve his own dark purpose. He intends to destroy all that you love in favor of claiming it as his own kingdom.”

“Atlas is merely a bug meant to be crushed and…” Hades waved his hand dismissively.

“He stole the love of your life from you without consequence,” Logan puffed his chest out and stood up taller. His posture spoke volumes of his defiance as he took a bold step in closer to Hades, “Doesn’t that bother you to know of that which was stolen from you?”

The words seemed to shake Hades when a scowl carried over his lips, “Presuming that I believe your nonsense, why would Atlas care about stealing my queen? What business of his is it?”

“He knows that together you and the real Persephone are stronger than anyone thought possible. Your kingdom is one that no other god or goddess could touch under your rule. Your strength defined so many things in your world and brought about a new reign among your peers and followers. It shaped your world and a great many others as well. Your love story is something that a great many of us have experienced in our own way in worlds beyond the one that you are a part of,” Logan continued remembering the woman’s words back in the castle, “If you are at odds with one another, then you will never find that strength in one another. The worlds will start to crumble ceasing to continue the path it was meant for. It will open you up to vulnerability and ultimately Zeus would fall from his throne leaving Atlas to take control when…”

“Zeus is more than capable of holding his own,” Hades shot back with a shake of his head causing the long, red hair to cascade around the skin he was in, “To underestimate my brother would be foolish considering that…”

“Perhaps, but you said it yourself that he was missing. I have watched gods fall for far less than what has been taking place here,” Logan reminded him once again, “You told me that things weren’t going too well for him, which I imagine is something worth questioning. Granted I realize life is complicated in your family but think about it for a second. Is it really like your brother to just up and vanish during a war?”

“The mortals are always at war with one another. It is part of the burden of the beast with them,” Hades waved the long, slender arm he was wearing dismissively, “They are always so eager to destroy one another in our name.”

“Perhaps, but what about Persephone? What about her?” Logan attempted to appeal to him once again, “Tonight I’ve learned that she’s out there being held prisoner by Atlas while an imposter has moved in on her life preparing to destroy it in every way imaginable. Does that mean nothing to you?”

“It…” Hades blinked back at him when something seemed to register behind his eyes, “I mean…”

“She is the great love of your life and even though someone has worked hard to make you forget that, deep down inside of you I know that you are capable of remembering,” Logan attempted to appeal to him once again, “Surely your existence before being brought to this world has to be buried somewhere inside of you. You must still feel that connection that was there between you…”

“I…I…Persephone,” Hades repeated allowing her name to sink in past the lips he wore when suddenly his features softened. He looked to Logan again as if seeing him with new eyes, “My Persephone…she…she…”

“Atlas has her locked away in his hidden fortress hoping that you will continue to forget what she means to you. He wants you to lose yourself in his construct so that he and the imposter will destroy you and your family to further his agenda,” Logan blurted out realizing how crazy it all sounded when he found himself reporting in with the lord of the underworld, “Should the false goddess prove victorious in this war, then…”

“Our world will collapse and we will never be able to return to our true home—to where we were before all of this…surrounded us,” Hades realized when a ripple carried over his skin taking him from the woman that Logan had fondly remembered to an unfamiliar face of a man before him. His skin was pale with his jaw defined transforming him from the tease of Logan’s memory to the face of someone that Logan was certain he was never meant to look upon. He had a sharp jawline and deep dark eyes that carried secrets that Logan was certain he’d never want to uncover. His mouth was sharp and angular like his nose, but there was something in the ripple of his skin that caused the air around them to go frigid when the waves of the waters stood still dying down to the weight of the realization Hades had been given, “He wishes to destroy our reality to serve his selfish purpose in attempting to gain some kind of control—to prove somehow that with this new advantage that he is something greater than a mere mortal.”

“He wishes to rule your world, yes,” Logan nodded further, “He’s using this one that he’s created to expand his power beyond this place and…”

“Life as anyone knows it will cease to exist as every universe will be forced to bow at his feet,” Hades finished knowingly, “which simply will not be possible. Atlas cannot wield that kind of power regardless of the lengths he has gone to in order to grasp it.”

“Then help us stop him. Together we can end his madness and reclaim our lives. There’s a boy that…,” Logan spoke up after a long hesitation.

“Sanja,” Hades nodded accordingly when a shroud of darkness carried over him, “I’ve heard rumors of the boy. I’m aware of his presence on this world and his attachment to Atlas.”

“Then you know what Atlas is doing to him in manipulating his powers. The boy is an innocent victim in all of this that has been corrupted by the lies he’s been fed,” Logan continued thinking about the lost child in the castle, “He’s being deceived by Atlas, led to believe he can be reunited with his mother when…”

“It is nothing more than an illusion made to keep the boy complacent,” Hades finished knowingly when a hollow laugh carried over his lips, “Atlas is a monster made from the darkest parts of humanity. He wishes to consume and destroy, but now that you’ve uncovered his deceptions…”

“You can help take him down and get us all out of this world, yes?” Logan asked hopefully when he found him thoughts returning to Scott and Sanja together in the castle.

“Unfortunately, I cannot. These games among the mortals are ones that we have strict rules against partaking in,” Hades answered poignantly.

“That’s a line of bullshit and we both know that,” Logan challenged sensing something was off with the god before him, “I’ve heard stories about the great many times the gods have intervened with the mortals and…”

“Regardless of what you have heard this is no longer our world for the taking,” Hades reminded him, “If Atlas has been able to erase the memory of my love from my mind, then imagine the things that he can do should I step in on his game. If I were to partake in the illusion…”

“What?” Logan asked again.

“I cannot use my power to change what has been altered in this place,” Hades answered with a scowl. He waved his large hand around in the air causing the waters to resume in movement again before he let out a long sigh, “As long as my bride is held captive, then peace cannot be restored. The world cannot return to what it once was and…”

“Scott and I are stuck here being manipulated by Atlas. We have a life back home that…,” Logan finished with a frown finding himself caught up in the realization that he and Scott were still pawns in Atlas’ game.

“That is of no concern to me,” Hades frowned.

“Well it damn well better be because we can’t stay trapped here all because you’re too chicken shit to take a stand against someone that you could snap in half with the snap of your fingers. You and I both know that with your powers and influence you could end this now before it gets even more out of hand than…”

“Until order is restored, we are all trapped here bound by the constraints that Atlas has thrust upon us. Until they are broken, I cannot make a move to change what is,” Hades snapped his fingers together before a jeweled, ornate dagger appeared in the air. It hovered before Logan revealing the smooth steel and the ruby colored jewels at the handle. Watching it closely, Logan found himself mesmerized by the beauty of it glimmering in the darkened world around him.

“What is this?” Logan questioned holding his hand out when the dagger came to him, pressing into his palm when Hades took a step back.

“This is the key to ending our nightmare once and for all,” Hades answered readily when another ripple carried over his skin, “You must take this and kill the imposter along with the boy who has provided Atlas with this power before peace can be restored to our worlds.”

“Wait, what? I’m not going to kill the boy because you can’t step up to take Atlas out yourself. I mean, yeah, sure the kid has helped him create this, but he’s not….,” Logan replied pushing the dagger out of his hand only to watch it floating in the air around him, “He’s just a child and…”

“As long as Atlas continues to warp his young mind twisting it to his bidding, then no good shall come out of this. The child holds the key to all of this and as long as he exists we don’t stand a chance of breaking free of the chains that this world has upon us,” Hades stated in a cool, even tone, “Once the child has been eradicated…”

“He’s a child,” Logan reminded him once again.

“With great power and a reputation for madness. Is that correct?” Hades questioned almost as if he was reaching into Logan’s mind and replaying the exchange that Logan had with the mutant posing at Sanja’s mother. There was a warmth building in the back of his brain unlocking hidden memories as Hades took a step forward blatantly attempting to pull out things that Logan hadn’t wanted to share with him.

“Stop!” Logan shouted at the god. Bringing his hands up to the side of his head he clenched his temples fighting against the mental attack when Hades finally let out a small laugh.

“Fine,” he relented releasing his hold on Logan’s mind long enough to offer up a dismissive wave, “Just see to it that the job is done. With the imposter gone and the boy dead, I will be able to regain my strength and reclaim my bride returning to that which has been taken from me. When this Sanja is erased from existence then Atlas shall no longer have a hold on any of us. His power will be gone and…”

“No!” Logan snarled curling his fingers into fits and revealing his claws to Hades before him, “That boy is an innocent victim in all of this. You told me in the beginning that all I had to do was find Scott and make him fall in love with me before we dealt with your false goddess. You said once I had his heart that this world would be over and…”

“I was wrong,” Hades shrugged. He let out a long sigh before waving his hand around again, “I’m not often wrong about such things, but apparently it wasn’t his heart in need of fixing.”

“I’m not killing the boy,” Logan argued further when a snarl carried over him. He knew full well he was no match for a god but with a child’s life on the line, he wasn’t about to back down on his stance, “It isn’t happening.”

“Atlas must be destroyed, and to eliminate the boy is the only way to end his reign of terror,” Hades waved his hand and the blade of the dagger moved in closer to Logan. It hovered just over Logan’s neck when Hades spoke up with dark determination in his tone, “With the boy gone, Atlas will no longer hold any power. Only then will peace be restored. Only then will your precious Cyclops be able to survive this nightmare. You can save his soul and yours.”

“You said before that all I had to do was…” Logan scowled as the tip of the blade pressed in against his skin causing him to swallow down with the cool metal against his skin.

“You said you wanted to find a way out of this and I’m providing you with a more than adequate solution,” Hades moved in closer to him. With a wave of his hand he pressed the blade in closer to Logan’s throat, pushing into his flesh. The movement caused Logan’s claws to retract instead leaving blood trailing down Logan’s knuckles with the movement. A few drips fell to the sand forming into tiny serpents that slithered away from Logan’s feet into the water. With a grunt Logan raised his chin up defiantly looking to the menacing god before him, “You will do what I ask Logan.”

“You can’t make me do anything that…” Logan began again when he felt the press of the dagger’s handle into his palm once again.

“I can make you do anything that I please, but instead of forcing your hand, I will give you one last opportunity to do as you are told to make things right. The imposter and the boy die before the full moon rises tomorrow night,” Hades ordered nefariously when he reached out to touch the side of Logan’s face with a sadistic smirk, “Or your precious Cyclops does. The choice is yours.”


	6. Chapter 6

With the weight of his choice hanging over him, Logan found his way back to the castle and into the private guest room that Sanja had offered to him and Scott. His mind was filled with conflicting thoughts, his heart consumed by the weight of his fears, but as he’d discovered Scott waiting for him looking sexier than ever, he’d found that the dark sinking feeling in his chest was replaced with something far more primitive for his curious lover.

“Where did you go before Logan?” Scott questioned from his position on the oversized canopy bed in the guest room of Sanja’s castle. He was stretched out and looking almost relaxed as Logan crossed the room weighing out his options in confiding his whereabouts to Scott.

Giving Scott one, brief glance, Logan turned his back to Scott. He hesitated before looking to Scott again watching as Scott reached down to pull the heavy, dark leather boot off his foot as Logan found himself surrounded by thoughts of Hades’ request of him. Armed with the dagger in his own boot and the dark warning Hades offered, Logan found himself having a moment of conscience wishing like hell that he could think of a better plan for their escape from the dark world.

“I needed some air,” Logan lied hating himself for not sharing the truth about his meeting with Hades with Scott, but he knew it was for Scott’s own good. Knowing how horrible the experience had been, Logan had found himself met by an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness. More than anything, he’d wanted to free himself and Scott before they’d become so entrenched in the game Atlas had created that there was no returning to the world they’d left behind. It had been his priority from the moment he’d received the mysterious invitation, but now as he thought about the dark warning Hades had issued him before he’d left their meeting spot, Logan couldn’t help, but find himself dragging his heels over the exchange. Faced with Hades’ ultimatum, Logan had grudgingly taken the blade to temporarily appease Hades knowing that no good would come out of such a request.

“You were gone for a while,” Scott noted dropping the boot onto the floor beyond where he sat. Tilting his chin up, he reached out to unbutton the top button on his uniform before scrutinizing Logan all over again, “You sure that was all it was?”

“For now,” Logan replied somberly watching Scott lean back on the plush comforter beneath him, “What about you? Any progress with the kid?”

“He doesn’t want to leave this place, but really why would he? He’s living in a dream and Atlas has him convinced this is the only way he gets to keep his mother,” Scott sighed plucking open another button on the uniform.

“Yeah,” Logan cleared his throat and shifted on his feet, “about that. There’s something that I should probably tell you considering that…”

“She’s not his mother,” Scott finished taking Logan by surprise with his words.

“How do you know?” Logan couldn’t help, but question with wide eyes as Scott sat up straighter once again.

“Atlas hasn’t played fair in all of this from the start. Plus, there was something in her voice,” Scott admitted with a small shrug. Without hesitation he leaned forward twisting his body to pull the remaining boot he was wearing from his foot, “and an emptiness in her eyes that…”

“You picked up on that?” Logan questioned moving in closer to where Scott sat upright on the bed after discarding the boot.

“It wasn’t hard to realize from our arrival that this is all an illusion. Maybe it was the whole holiday theme or the magical elements that we were met with in the main room, but it isn’t real,” Scott explained patting the bed beside him for Logan to take a seat at his side. Without hesitation Logan did as instructed making his way over to the spot beside his companion, “Atlas is working very hard to manipulate Sanja and in doing so he had to find a way to reanimate that which he loves with his mother and…”

“He’s sick Slim,” Logan grumbled thinking about the man he’d encountered early on his journey, “To toy with a kid like that just to fuel your own twisted agenda is sick. Preying on that boy’s emotions is wrong and proves he is nothing short of a madman.”

“I don’t doubt that is what drives him on,” Scott’s jaw flexed with tension, “He’s a monster in so many ways that…”

“We aren’t going to beat him Slim,” Logan confessed reaching out to press his hand over Scott’s thigh. Offering up a supportive squeeze, he couldn’t help, but sigh when the weight of Hades’ request hung over him, “I wish I could tell you otherwise, but I can’t. So long as Sanja believes in his lie, then we aren’t going to gain control of this situation.”

“We have to,” Scott sighed seemingly caught up in his thoughts when Logan squeezed his leg once again, “If we can’t fix this, then so many people stand to lose so much.”

“This world isn’t our responsibility,” Logan grumbled as his thoughts returned to his meeting with Hades, “We didn’t ask to be a part of it and…”

“We’ve never walked away from those who need us Logan,” Scott reminded him with a small shake of his head, “We’ve always helped those who needed a hero and…”

“Being a hero hasn’t always worked for either of us through the years,” Logan reminded him pointedly, “It often led us to being outcasts. We’ve been hated and…”

“We don’t have a choice in all of this Logan. If we can’t find a way to fix this, then life as we know it will cease to exist from here on out,” Scott reminded him behind a neutral expression, “If we give up now without a fight…”

“Then we wouldn’t be us,” Logan finished poignantly reaching out to squeeze his fingers over Scott’s thigh, “Trust me Slim I don’t ever want to be the one to back down from a fight, but…”

“But what?” Scott questioned turning towards Logan once again.

“I’m just afraid what might become of us if we get caught up in all of this,” Logan confessed in a raw aching tone, “If we end up in the thick of this war forced into playing along with this illusion, then…”

“We can find a way to save them and ourselves,” Scott reached out to skim his fingers over the rough stubble on Logan’s cheek, “You and I both know that we’re the last hope they have.”

“What about us? What do we have?” Logan questioned leaning into Scott’s touch. He let out a long sigh savoring the warmth of Scott’s fingertips against his cheek before speaking up again with a heaviness settling over his chest, “What if to beat this we have to do the unthinkable?”

“Then we haven’t thought of a better plan,” Scott answered readily, not missing a beat when he pulled away from Logan to reposition himself on the bed.

“What if there isn’t a better plan?” Logan hung his head down somberly.

“There’s always a better plan,” Scott answered as if it was the simplest thing to admit, but Logan knew the truth was far more complicated than that. With each breath he took, he found himself reflecting on the dagger and the request to murder the imposter and Sanja in order to gain an alliance with Hades in ending this game Atlas had started. Lost in his thoughts, Logan almost hadn’t heard Scott when he’d spoke up again, “So the woman that Sanja thinks is his mother… Who is she?”

“A captive like we are,” Logan thought back to his earlier conversation with the woman who’d shared dinner with him, “She’s from another universe as well. Atlas pulled her and her family from her world and…”

“He’s using the same bully tactic on her that he did with Sanja,” Scott pondered Logan’s words, “Let me guess. He threatened something she loved.”

“Her family,” Logan divulged readily, “He’s held them captive while he manipulates her into doing his bidding. He threatened to kill them should she not cooperate and live the illusion that Atlas has created to appease Sanja.”

“She’s a shifter, isn’t she?”

Logan nodded again, “And a young one at that. She can’t be any older than in her twenties and scared out of her mind at the thought that she may never see her family again if Sanja discovers the truth in her identity.”

“No wonder she’s so afraid,” Scott’s scowl intensified, “This has to be terrifying for her as well knowing that those she loves are in danger.”

“This whole world is about to erupt if we don’t take control of it,” Logan turned towards Scott watching as Scott fell back onto the plush mattress with a plop.

“Tell me something I don’t already know,” Scott groaned outwardly. Despite the concern in his tone, he began to stretch out over the plush comforter enjoying the modern luxury that Sanja’s haven had provided for them, “I realize that we can’t turn back on any of this, but Persephone is going to be beside herself in wondering where we are for the celebration tonight when…”

“Yeah about that,” Logan cleared his throat and looked away when guilt tugged at his insides, “with Persephone she’s not…”

“What?” Scott raised his head up to look at Logan again, “What is it? What aren’t you telling me Logan?”

“She’s not…” Logan swallowed down on the truth, “She’s not real.”

“What do you mean she’s not real?” Scott questioned turning onto his side to look at Logan on the bed, “Are you saying that she’s another part of the construct that Atlas has created around us? That she’s an illusion like this castle is or…?”

“I’m saying that she truly is an imposter. I have no idea who the hell she is other than what I was told earlier. All I know is that the Persephone that you have been spending time with is Atlas’ lover who has teamed up with him to tear the old world apart in favor of creating his own empire,” Logan continued to explain with the weight of the world on his shoulders, “The real Persephone is being held captive in the fortress Atlas has tucked away from the rest of the world. Somehow Atlas has used Sanja to keep her captive and neutralized while he has been fanning the flames of this upcoming battle with his companion. While the imposter is waging war, the real goddess is being kept in a cage so that this war continues and…”

“Wait a second. Are you saying that the woman who has been at my side is…?” Scott’s face drained of all color when Logan’s words began to sink in.

“Another player in the game Atlas has created,” Logan finished knowingly when Logan found his thoughts returning to the woman who had attempted to control Scott in her madness, “and the longer she continues to help Atlas, the harder it will be for us to get out of this.”

“How did you discover that she’s an imposter?” Scott couldn’t help but ask with a neutral expression on his face. He propped his head up with his elbow on the mattress to face Logan head on, “Is that what the woman posing as Sanja’s mother told you when we were down by his train?”

Logan nodded, “She explained the truth to me after you left with Sanja. Things are worse than we imagined Slim. She’s terrified for her life in this situation with Sanja. She wants to get out of this just as much as we do Slim, but at the same time…”

“She is helpless like we are because of the hold that Atlas has upon her,” Scott finished with an overwhelming sigh, “which means we are back at square one with finding a resolution.”

“She’s afraid of him Slim,” Logan lowered his voice when his thoughts darkened, “When you were gone…”

“I can understand her fear where Atlas was concerned,” Scott mouthed preparing to say something more when Logan shook his head firmly.

“No, not with Atlas. I mean, yeah, she seems really shaken up over what he’s done, but with Sanja,” Logan hesitated remembering Scott’s earlier interactions with the boy, “Something is off with him. Something about all of this doesn’t feel right Slim. Even you have to admit that this castle and everything inside of it…”

“…is created to keep that boy from questioning his reality and seeing the truth that is right before his eyes,” Scott reached out to slide his fingers into Logan’s hair, “He’s every bit a victim in this as we are.”

“Is he though?” Logan found himself questioning the boy who’d insisted upon them staying with him for the night, “You saw the way he talked to her tonight.”

“I’ll admit it was clear he was having a tantrum, but…” Scott began defending the boy’s actions.

“Slim, she told me that last week he erased a servant from existence all because they had upset him,” Logan pointed out with a frown, “Children don’t do that just because they are having a tantrum. They don’t lash out like that unless…”

“He’s confused Logan,” Scott couldn’t help, but frown, “Wouldn’t you be when this world is anything, but what you’ve known?”

“I’m not going to argue that Slim, but at the same time there is a darkness about the boy that…” Logan’s words tapered off when he thought back to the request Hades had made of him.

“What?” Scott questioned.

“You said it yourself that he is quite powerful and that you were concerned what his powers could do in the wrong hands when…”

“Sanja is being manipulated by Atlas, which is something I was afraid of when Charles sent me to find him,” Scott answered honestly as the weight of the tension in the air between them seemed to divide them further, “Given the weight of his power, I have to question if there is any safe place for him in our world.”

“So, then you had your doubts?” Logan arched a scrutinizing brow.

“Not about his character, but about the potential for something darker should he find his way into the wrong hands,” Scott lowered his voice when something flashed over his features, “I’d be lying if I hadn’t found myself contemplating the things that you are Logan. Charles told me he was special—that there was something very different about him, but…”

“What?”

“It just felt…off. He’s unlike any other mutant that I’ve ever met before. The weight of his powers go above and beyond anything I’ve ever experienced firsthand to the point that they felt…,” Scott hesitated.

“What?” Logan questioned leaning in closer to Scott.

“The Phoenix was by far one of the greatest powers I have ever known. When it consumed me there was something in its presence that had gone unmatched by anything else, I’d ever experienced,” Scott divulged quietly, “It was all consuming and I ceased to be myself. Instead I was something more—something far different than I could put to words. In those moments when I was filled with its power, I caught a glimpse of what it must’ve felt like for Jean, but even in that, it paled in comparison to what I saw inside of Sanja. He has something inside of him that is so different—so inexplicable in his presence that…”

“You think whatever is inside of him is stronger than the Phoenix?” Logan couldn’t help, but question as the color drained from Scott’s face.

“I don’t know, but it was enough for me to take pause and question the nature of my assignment,” Scott shrugged seemingly struggling with his words, “At the school I knew that Charles would do his best, but…”

“You think he would fail in helping Sanja contain his powers,” Logan finished tilting his head up to look at Scott again, “You’re afraid of the fallout and the aftermath.”

“Of course, I am,” Scott frowned causing lines of tension to carry over his handsome features, “I told you as much when we first discussed my seeking out Sanja. He’s still so young, but at the same time someone like Atlas swept in and took advantage of him. He’s vulnerable to the predators of the world and…”

“Did Sanja say anything to you about how he feels in all of this?” Logan questioned laying back on the mattress as well. He turned onto his side unable to refrain from taking in the sight of Scott stretched out beside him in the room Sanja had provided them for the evening’s sleepover that Sanja had insisted upon.

“He’s happy Logan. He has no idea that this is all an illusion put together by a madman,” Scott twisted so that he was facing Logan as well, “For the first time in a long time he has everything he’s ever wanted. He believes that is due to Atlas and his part in all of this.”

“Which means he isn’t interested in changing it any time soon,” Logan sighed reaching out to touch the side of Scott’s face.

“Would you change it if someone offered you everything you ever wanted without any obvious strings attached?” Scott countered when his lips curved downward in the beginnings of a scowl, “If you could have back the one thing that you lost…”

“…I would do anything in my power to make it a reality,” Logan divulged with a sigh. Unable to help himself, he caressed Scott’s cheek, taking the time to memorize Scott’s features after taking the time to contemplate the soft smoothness of Scott’s skin. Granted in the past Scott’s cheek might’ve carried more stubble with it, but in the warmth of the room that Sanja had provided him Scott’s skin was soft and vulnerable in ways that Scott would hate Logan thinking about.

“He’s a child,” Scott’s lips parted as he let out a long sigh, “This means everything to him.”

“His mom is his world and he truly believes that she’s with him again,” Logan nodded taking in the scent of Scott beside him half dressed in the toy soldier uniform that had manifested once they’d entered Sanja’s castle. When Scott leaned into the touch, Logan couldn’t help, but smile poignantly, “Which means as long as we’re trapped in this place where he’s caught up in the illusion, we’re screwed.”

“Pretty much,” Scott sighed clearly closing his eyes behind the visor he was wearing, “I wish there was an easy answer Logan, but there isn’t. Until we can reach through to Sanja, then we are trapped here forced to play the game Atlas has created and…”

“He plans to kill you Slim,” Logan pushed his fingers into Scott’s thick, dark hair hoping to coax Scott to looking up at him once again.

“Who does?” Scott questioned with a frown, “Sanja?”

“Atlas,” Logan clarified, “Once the fake Persephone uses you to win the war against Hades, then she and Atlas intend to murder you after they’ve used you up for what they need.”

“They can intend all they want, but that isn’t going to be…” Scott opened his mouth to argue with Logan.

“No,” Logan replied reaching out to press his index finger over the center of Scott’s lips to silence him. Hovering in over Scott, Logan let out a long sigh when his heart sank at the reality that surrounded them, “you aren’t getting it Slim. They are set on killing you once this war is over. She has been manipulating you all along, keeping you complacent and using your powers to push along the agenda Atlas has going, but once she is victorious, she will kill you.”

“That’s not going to happen Logan,” Scott attempted to reason with him behind muffled words, “Now that we know how things are, we can keep working with Sanja and…”

“Telling him that his mother isn’t his mother isn’t going to win him over,” Logan reminded him with a huff. Touching the side of Scott’s face, Logan found himself caught up in a moment of conscience being so close to the man he loved and lost, yet so far from the world they’d left behind, “If we go in there and expose the deception Atlas created to Sanja, it could cause him to fall to pieces and then we’re no further going forward…”

“I realize that,” Scott frowned bringing his hand up over Logan’s wrist to coax Logan’s fingers into his dark hair. Picking up on Scott’s nonverbal cues, Logan stretched his fingers out, tangling them though Scott’s hair before offering up a light massage of his scalp, “but in doing what we’re doing it isn’t working. This war is set on destroying those involved with it and…”

“You as well, which is why I think that maybe we need to find another way to deal with this,” Logan released Scott’s hair and resumed in stroking the side of Scott’s face. His thumb grazed Scott’s plump, bottom lip as a sigh spilled over Logan’s lips, “Maybe we should stay here.”

“With Sanja?” Scott questioned parting his lips and allowing the tip of Logan’s thumb to push into his mouth to tease over the damp warmth behind Scott’s lip.

“Why not?” Logan shrugged teasing his finger over the sensitive flesh and watching goosebumps form on Scott’s flesh. He sucked in a sharp breath watching as Scott’s lips surrounded him, sucking down gently on the tip of Logan’s thumb before releasing it with a sigh.

“I can think of a whole lot of reasons why not,” Scott answered lazily reaching out to unbutton the top of Logan’s uniform. Logan remained frozen above Scott caught up in the warm sensation of Scott’s touch. Wordlessly Scott pushed open another button revealing Logan’s dark chest hair.

“The kid likes you and the way I see it he’s the one in control and…” Logan replied reaching out to pluck away at the button on Scott’s uniform as well to reveal more of his soft flesh. Dipping down Logan nuzzled his nose against the side of Scott’s neck taking in the seductive scent of his lover, “He didn’t want us to leave tonight, so if we agreed to stay for a while, then maybe we could take the time to work on it when…”

“We both know that is an impossibility,” Scott sighed arching his head back into the mattress to expose his neck further to Logan. His arm curled around Logan’s muscular shoulder with fingers curling in to peel the top of Logan’s shirt away from the curve of his shoulder and down over the top of his arm, “The longer we stay here, the more Persephone will ask questions and…”

“She’s not the real Persephone Slim. With Sanja on our side, she can’t touch you. If we convince him to protect you, then her hold on you can no longer contain you,” Logan pointed out pushing up on his arms to hover over Scott with a frown on his face.

“I realize that, but at the same time…” Scott groaned dropping his arms down to the mattress once again.

“I saw Hades tonight,” Logan finally confessed with guilt overtaking him. Taking in a breath, he rolled off Scott and onto his side of the bed. Closing his eyes, Logan felt a shudder overtake him when his thoughts got the best of him, “and he told me that the only option was to kill the imposter.”

“I can see why he would think that is our best option, but this imposter has gone above and beyond to integrate herself into this world. No one will believe that she isn’t who she claims to be,” Scott contemplated Logan’s words, “Even Demeter believes that she is her daughter and…”

“There’s more,” Logan’s stomach twisted in Hades dark warning.

“How much more?” Scott asked wearily reaching across the mattress to touch the top of Logan’s palm.

“He wants us to kill Sanja,” Logan spoke up behind gritted teeth, “He said it is the only way for Atlas to lose his power and…”

“Logan, there’s no way that we’re going to kill Sanja. For you to even think about it…”

“I told him no. He’s just a child. I wouldn’t do that Slim, but…” Logan paused sitting up. He leaned over the side of the bed to pull the dagger out of his boot before handing it over to Slim, “Hades beckoned me tonight and gave me this. He told me that I needed to use this on the imposter and on Sanja to find a way out of this and…”

“What is it?” Scott questioned reaching for the dagger to take a closer look at it.

“He kind of pulled it out of the air,” Logan answered readily watching as Scott sat upright and turned the dagger over in his palm, “and said I needed it to…”

“We aren’t killing either one of them,” Scott replied setting the dagger down on the comforter between them before reaching out to Logan again, “The woman helping Atlas will pay for her crimes if she’s an imposter and Sanja…”

“He’s already paying for the madness that Atlas pushed upon him,” Logan replied guiltily reaching for the dagger and placing it on top of the table beside the bed. Shaking his head, he found himself at a loss, “He’s going to be crushed when he realizes his mom is still gone.”

“He deserves better Logan,” Scott agreed falling back onto the bed again, “He’s endured so much. When I think about the state he was in when I found him out in the desert…”

“He was in pretty bad shape huh?” Logan questioned.

“He was beyond consolable,” Scott admitted lost in a memory that Logan wasn’t a part of, “It took us six hours to work our way into that shack that he was holding up in and even then…”

“What?” Logan questioned as Scott’s face darkened in his thoughts, “Slim?”

“I know what it is like to be where he’s been Logan,” Scott answered lowering his voice when he stretched his arms out on the air, doing his best to stay focused when he let out a long sigh, “I know what it is like to watch everyone you care about slip away in a moment.”

“Slim. I know that…” Logan softened his tone. Reaching out to touch Scott’s shoulder, he found himself met by a surprising vulnerability with his lover.

“I remember what it felt like when I woke up in that orphanage. In thinking that I’d lost both my parents and Alex…” Scott trembled beneath Logan’s touch, “Things were so complicated back then and with Sinister…”

“We won’t let Atlas do to that boy what Sinister did to you,” Logan promised squeezing Scott’s shoulder until they were surrounded by silence. It hung heavy in the air around them taking Logan from a brief relief in having Scott at his side, to traveling down the road where their demons haunted them both over lives that they couldn’t escape from before they’d found their way to the second chance Charles Xavier had offered them, “We can’t let anything happen to Sanja I’m not arguing that, but at the same time when I think about what Hades said about me losing you again…”

“We won’t let that happen,” Scott reminded him. His jaw flexed with tension, his mind undoubtedly running through their options until he was able to form a suitable plan. However, when he touched the side of Logan’s face there was a tenderness in his touch that hadn’t often been present in their exchanges, “Logan…”

“I can’t lose you again. Not like this,” Logan shook his head adamantly, “If I lost you again after all this time…”

“You won’t,” Scott’s voice was firm. He curled his fingers underneath Logan’s chin coaxing Logan to look at him again. Without a word, Scott leaned in closer, his lips hovering over Logan’s until Logan felt the press of Scott’s fingers over his abdomen, sliding the toy soldier uniform away from Logan’s thick torso, “We’re going to end this war and find our way back home Logan.”

“I wish I was as convinced as you are,” Logan sighed feeling the warmth of Scott’s words buzzing over his lips.

“Lucky for you I haven’t allowed the feel of this place to steal my confidence,” Scott forced a small smile. His palm pushed over Logan’s chest, coaxing Logan onto his back again. Once Logan was stretched out on the bed Scott moved in over him, straddling Logan’s hips with his thighs. Shortly after he was peeling Logan’s shirt completely from his body before doing the same with his own, “We’re going to come out on top of this.”

“Right now, I’d rather push all of this out of mind long enough to focus on you on top of me,” Logan’s thick fingers gripped at Scott’s hips coaxing him to grind over Logan. Following Logan’s direction, Scott shifted his hips, wiggling over Logan just enough to offer the kind of distraction Logan needed for the night ahead of them.

“I’m sure we can arrange that,” Scott promised bending down to pull Logan from his thoughts with a wild, explicit kiss meant to soothe Logan’s demons while simultaneously awakening the beast inside of him that ached for Scott Summers in ways he’d never imagined before they’d entered one another’s lives.

* * *

_He’s beautiful. So very beautiful indeed._

The thought surrounded Scott as he found himself staring at Logan long after his lover had fallen asleep on the bed beside him. With a smile on his face and a warmth upon his skin, Scott couldn’t help, but find himself lost in the naked man beside him remembering the way that he and Logan were so in tune with one another. On a physical level Scott knew that he hadn’t ever experienced a lover that had been as well versed with him as Logan had. Granted the women in his life had often taken cues from his inner torment and his thoughts, but with Logan it all came naturally. Without having to ask, Logan knew just how to touch him—how to make him feel something that he’d convinced himself years ago no longer existed inside of him. Now underneath the moonlight, Scott found himself caught up in the thought of just how perfect Logan was to him.

_He’s beautiful_ , that inner voice shouted out again leaving Scott to wonder what Logan would think should he dare to make such a declaration in their waking hours. Granted, he was almost convinced it was something that Logan hadn’t heard before, but it was the truth. In every way imaginable Logan was beautiful to Scott. With his thick arm draped around Scott’s waist and his head buried in the plush pillow that Sanja had somehow mustered up in this illusion, it was almost perfect—almost as Scott had always longed for when the weight of the world came crashing down upon his shoulders.

“I’m going to fix this,” Scott promised leaning over to press a kiss over the back of Logan’s neck. It caused Logan to stir beneath the blankets, offering up a more explicit view of his body beside Scott. However, instead of basking in the moment, Scott found himself thinking about Logan’s secret meeting with Hades. It seemed that as with everything else on the island time hadn’t been on their side—not back home and most certainly not tonight when Logan’s words hung heavy over Scott guiding him out of bed and into the soft white robe that was now waiting for him over by the door. He slipped into it, looking over his shoulder and giving Logan one last perusal before turning his attention to the world waiting outside of the haven the bedroom had provided.

“Here goes nothing,” Scott mouthed to himself before opening the door and taking the familiar path to the main room only to discover Sanja seated by the tree watching his prized train move around its base in a figure eight pattern. Repeatedly it sped up, rounding the curves on the floor just beyond the boy’s reach.

“Couldn’t sleep Mr. Cyclops?” Sanja questioned not bothering to look over his shoulder when Scott realized that the boy could sense his presence in the room.

“I’m afraid not,” Scott answered honestly. With another twist on the robe tie to tighten it more securely around his waist, Scott moved forward hoping to bridge the distance between them. With a careful pull on the fabric, Scott moved down onto the floor to join Sanja at the base of the tree, “What about you?”

“I never sleep,” Sanja answered with an exaggerated breath. He held a tiny remote control in his hand, lazily pressing buttons upon it when the train started to speed up once again, “I stopped sleeping when I found my way here with Mr. Atlas.”

“I see,” Scott watched him closely, taking in the sunken lines of the boy’s face. Unlike before when they were sharing a meal, it seemed that Sanja was caught up in deep thought far from the ease that had been present when his ‘mother’ was a round, “Why don’t you sleep anymore?”

“I can’t,” Sanja admitted with a shrug, “I sometimes want to, but there is something inside of me that won’t let me do it, so I just play with my train when everyone else is asleep.”

“Every night?” Scott questioned watching the boy press the remote once again with his tiny fingers. It caused a horn to sound when flashing lights on the track began to lower a barrier at the far end of the track.

“Every night,” Sanja nodded when the train began to slow to a halt, “but you aren’t here to ask me about sleep, are you Mr. Cyclops?”

“No,” Scott answered honestly, “I’m not.”

“You want to try to convince me to stop helping Mr. Atlas with his game,” Sanja pushed another button causing a tiny toy conductor to wave his hand out of the train window before Sanja pushed another button that pulled up the barrier.

“Mr. Atlas is a bad man Sanja. The things that he’s done to the world around him…” Scott started struggling for the right words when the train began to chug along the track once again.

“He just wants to play a game,” Sanja answered with a shrug, “What is so wrong about a game? Games are fun.”

“Are you having fun Sanja?” Scott questioned reaching out to touch the boy’s shoulder. He hesitated for a moment, preparing to pull away when the boy turned to face him fully.

“No,” Sanja admitted with a tearful expression on his face, “I’m not. I’m tired.”

“Then let me help you sleep,” Scott suggested reaching for the remote in the boy’s hand, “Let me help you get to your room so that you can rest.”

“I can’t,” Sanja replied shaking his head firmly. His tiny fingers squeezed at the remote, clenching onto it for dear life, “I have to do this. I have to keep…”

“Doing what Sanja?” Scott questioned when the room around them began to shift. The lights began to flutter, alternating between darkness and the multicolored glow of the tree beside them when Sanja sucked in a sharp breath, “Sanja, what is Atlas making you do?”

“Bad things,” Sanja answered in a shuddering exhale, “He wants me to keep the others playing his game, but…”

“You don’t want to, do you?” Scott asked releasing the remote from his grip and watching as Sanja shook his head firmly.

“I just want to go home,” Sanja answered with a trembling lower lip.

“But I thought that…” Scott watched as tears filled the boy’s eyes.

“I know she’s not my mother,” Sanja turned to the tree again. He pushed another button on the remote causing the train to resume in its path repeatedly, “I know that she’s an imposter.”

“You do?” Scott tried to mask the surprise in his voice, “But earlier you said that…”

“It’s a game,” Sanja answered in a neutral tone, “I’m not stupid. I know that Mr. Cyclops, but I like having her around again. Even if she isn’t real, it is nice to see her face—to know that I can keep her close to me.”

“Sanja,” Scott opened his mouth to say something more, but found himself at a loss.

“She’s not really my mom you know,” Sanja replied with a hollow laugh, “She never really was. My real mom left me a long time ago when I was a baby, but I still miss her. I still wish she was here with me then we could be happy.”

“People need to be happy Sanja. That’s why you have to help me,” Scott finally decided watching as the boy continue to play with the train again, “If you and I can work together to stop Mr. Atlas from hurting people…”

“You want me to tell you where Miss Persephone is, don’t you?” Sanja cut him off abruptly. He tilted his head up and looked at Scott with a solemn expression on his face.

“I do,” Scott nodded.

“Mr. Atlas says that we have to keep her away for her own good,” Sanja explained solemnly, “He said if we let her go, then she will be kidnapped by the bad god and…”

“Keeping her locked up in a prison is no different Sanja,” Scott pointed out with a sigh, “Keeping her caged away from everyone around her is worse than what you think will happen to her if you let her leave.”

“No, I don’t think it is,” he shook his head firmly, “I know that you want me to help you find the good goddess so that she can go home. You want me to let the bad god take her from her mom and hurt her, but…”

“What I want is to save everyone here just like I know that’s what you want,” Scott answered honestly, “I know that this might be hard to understand, but the games that Mr. Atlas is playing hurts people. I know that you are told to trust adults, but some of them are bad people.”

“Mr. Atlas just wants to be my friend,” Sanja frowned up at him, “He let me live here and…”

“I know he seems like a friend, but often bad people do that to special children like you,” Scott sighed feeling a pang in his chest at all the boy had experienced, “When I was a kid, I was taken by a man who wanted to use me to hurt people just like Mr. Atlas has done to you.”

“You were?” Sanja questioned with wide eyes.

Scott nodded, “My mom had just died like your mom did and the bad man let me think my whole family was dead. He kept me hidden away from the rest of the world playing games that hurt people. For a long time, I was afraid because he took care of me, but as time went on, I realized that he was a bad man. He wanted to hurt people, but I couldn’t let him do that. He wanted to make me hurt people Sanja just like Mr. Atlas wants to do to you.”

“So, what did you do when he…tried to make you hurt people?”

“I ran away from where he was keeping me and I found a new family,” Scott replied thinking about his own troubled youth, “A good man found me when I was on my own just like I found you. In fact, he’s the man who sent me to find you and help you.”

“He wanted you to help me like he helped you?” Sanja questioned with a small smile.

“I want to help you Sanja, but to do that you’re going to have to trust me again,” Scott continued to explain, “I know that you are scared about what is waiting for you outside of this place, but I promise you that if you agree to come home with me I can help you find a new family.”

“I don’t want a new family,” Sanja pouted with tears behind his dark eyes.

“I know you don’t. I didn’t either, but sometimes finding people who care about you helps you find a way to keep going forward even when you are sad,” Scott offered up as the boy lowered his head and sighed.

“You mean like you have with your new family?”

“My family is very worried about me and…,” Scott nodded.

“You want to see your brother again,” Sanja finished for him with a sigh.

“I do,” Scott nodded, “and everyone else who loves me back at my home. They are very worried about all of us and the longer we stay here, the more worried they are.”

“I wish you could have that Mr. Cyclops, but who will love me if I let you go back home?” Sanja questioned tearfully, “Who will take care of me if I help you stop Mr. Atlas?”

“I will take care of you,” Scott promised reaching out to touch the boy’s shoulder again, “I will keep you safe and…”

“You and I both know that I don’t belong there anymore,” Sanja wrinkled his nose before looking to the tree again. His gaze followed the moving train taking with him a sense of solitude and isolation that the world around him had bestowed upon him, “Here I can have presents every day and someone who looks like my mom making me all my favorite treats. I can have her spoil me and…”

“Atlas is hurting people Sanja. I know that might be hard to understand, but the longer that you stay here pretending that this is okay, the more people will be hurt. You don’t want people hurt, do you?”

“No,” Sanja finally decided as he turned off the power button on the remote. He set it down on the floor in front of him before looking over at Scott again, “I don’t want people to be hurt.”

“Then help me save them. Help me stop Atlas and then I promise you that I will help you find a family,” Scott offered up readily, “If you don’t like being with me, then I promise we can find somewhere that you do like with people who will love and take care of you.”

“I just want my mom,” Sanja broke into tiny sobs, “All I want is to have my mom back in my life again. I don’t want her to be dead.”

“I know you don’t,” Scott reached out to pull the child into an embrace, “I know how much you miss her.”

“How can you?” Sanja broke down in tears.

“Because like I said before I lost my mom too when I was just a boy. Bad people took her away from me when I was just a kid,” Scott divulged painfully, “I lost my whole family and when that happened, I never thought that I would be able to find the strength to heal. I thought I was all alone when that bad man took me in and that no one would ever love me again. That’s why I ran away from the bad man and the bad things he did.”

“So, what did you do after you ran away from the bad man?” Sanja questioned tilting his head up to look at Scott once again.

“I was scared for a long time, but then I met the man that I want to take you to meet and he helped me,” Scott explained thinking about his tortured history with Charles, “He gave me a new life and a family and…”

“Mr. Wolverine?” Sanja asked with an innocent smile on his face, “Did you find Mr. Wolverine there?”

“I did,” Scott nodded, “When I grew up, he arrived at my new home just as lost as you are right now, and we helped him. We helped him find some of the things that he lost and a family again and…”

“You fell in love, didn’t you?” Sanja seemed to perk up at the idea of Scott and Logan together, “When you both found each other you fell in love right away, right?”

“Not right away, but when it happened…” Scott paused weighing out his words, “I told you when I asked you to write him that he was important to me. I let you know that he was going to rescue us when I asked you to bring him here. I said that he was a hero and…”

“…you promised that he would take us both back to your home to find a new life outside of here,” Sanja finished with a nod.

“And now that we are here, I intend to do just that, but to do that, you have to help me find the good goddess. You need to let me go to where Atlas is keeping her so that we can make things right again,” Scott prompted him further, “You want to make things right, don’t you Sanja?”

“How can they be right if we don’t have my mom?” Sanja challenged with a frown, “If I can’t be with her for real, then how can I ever be happy again if I go away from the fake mom I have now?”

“It won’t be easy, but I promise you that together we can try to find a way,” Scott spoke up reassuringly.

“I don’t want to be alone again Mr. Cyclops,” Sanja’s words carried with them the fear in his heart as Scott reached out to him once again.

“I promise you Sanja that as long as I’m at your side, you won’t ever be alone again,” Scott whispered keeping the small boy in an embrace as he found himself wondering just what the future held in store for all of them with Atlas still pulling their strings. Something told him that sooner rather than later things were about to get far worse than he’d imagined when he’d first set off on the mission to end this war. Now with Sanja beside him, he just hoped and prayed that he would be able to reach through to the boy long enough to avoid a far more undesirable outcome for all of them.

* * *

A tug on the blankets caused Logan to realize that his toes were cold. Exposed to the morning air, he let out a grumble finding himself face down on the plush accommodations that Sanja had provided him and Scott in their night in his castle. Now with the frigid air tickling at his toes, Logan snarled and stretched his arm out to the bed beside him only to discover it was empty beside him.

“Slim?” Logan questioned raising his head up to discover that once again his companion had slipped out of the room after Logan had drifted off to sleep. The previous evening they’d been connected leaving Logan with a sense of hope and promise for the future ahead of them in knowing that together they would find a way to solve their problems in finding their way home. Now, however, Logan found himself contemplating Scott’s absence wondering just what his companion had in mind for them on the morning of his would be wedding to the imposter goddess set on destroying him.

“What is this?” Sanja’s small voice caused Logan to gasp. He twisted on the bed, careful to keep the sheet wrapped around him as he sat upright to discover the boy on the floor. He was perched in front of a chair near the bed with legs folded. In his lap he held the jeweled dagger that Hades had offered to Logan the previous evening, “Is this yours?”

“For now,” Logan questioned watching the boy turn the dagger over in his tiny fingers, “You know you really shouldn’t play with that.”

“Why not?” Sanja questioned tilting his chin up to eye Logan expectantly, “You brought it into my home.”

“I did,” Logan held his hand out for the boy to hand him the dagger, “but it is something you could get hurt on. I would rather you not injure yourself when…”

“Why bring this into my home then?” Sanja replied in a more inquisitive tone, “If you knew it was dangerous for me, then why take the time to bring it into my home and…?”

“Didn’t anyone teach you that you shouldn’t snoop in other people’s things?” Logan grumbled keeping the sheet wrapped tightly over him. Once he was convinced it was secure, he leaned over the side of the bed hastily swiping the dagger from the boy’s reach, “The last thing we want is you getting hurt.”

“Why?” Sanja questioned with a shrug.

“Because you shouldn’t be playing with knives kid,” Logan contemplated putting the dagger back on the tabletop, but instead placed it on the bed beside him, “What are you doing in here anyway?”

“It’s my castle,” Sanja answered with a shrug, “You’re my guest.”

“Yes, yes I am, but hasn’t anyone told you that it makes for a bad host to come into a room and spy on your guests?” Logan arched an expectant brow in Sanja’s direction.

“I’m not spying on you,” Sanja frowned up at him, “I was just waiting for you to wake up so that I could speak with you.”

“I’m awake,” Logan replied bringing his hand up through his hair and trying to smooth out the thick, wild strands again, “What do you want?”

“Are you here to kill me?” Sanja questioned point blank with his hands folded neatly in his lap, “Is that why you and Mr. Cyclops arrived last night?”

“Mr. Cyclops is your friend Sanja,” Logan frowned back at him, “Why would you even ask that when…?”

“I know you are both very angry right now. You both have secrets, but I know that you hate keeping them from each other,” Sanja offered up knowingly. With a tip of his head, his dark eyes seemed to scrutinize Logan in ways that made him uncomfortable. However, the small boy seemed deep in his own thoughts when he continued to speak to Logan, “I could sense it when you walked into my castle kissing by my Christmas tree.”

“We weren’t…” Logan opened his mouth to protest when he thought about his night with Scott.

“You wanted to be,” Sanja asserted further, “because you love Mr. Cyclops, don’t you?”

“I do,” Logan sighed not bothering to hide the truth from the small boy before him, “very much.”

“That’s why you came here to this place to find him, isn’t it? Because you love him?” Sanja questioned.

“We needed him back home,” Logan replied watching the boy sizing him up from his position on the floor, “and because I love him.”

“I knew it,” Sanja smiled widely, “That’s why he asked me to have you find him.”

“That’s right,” Logan looked around the room once again wondering where Scott had disappeared to, “which is why I have to ask if you know where he is right now.”

“I do,” Sanja replied.

“Will you tell me?” Logan arched a speculative brow watching as the boy sat tight lipped before him. He made no move to react to Logan’s question. Instead Sanja appeared to be in deep thought weighing out Logan’s request before speaking up behind a thin smile.

“No.”

“Why not?” Logan frowned.

“Because Mr. Cyclops asked me not to say anything,” Sanja explained with a shrug, “He said that you would be really mad if you knew where he was right now.”

“That may be the case, but I’m going to be even angrier if you don’t tell me where he is and he ends up getting hurt,” Logan explained watching the boy’s eyes shift in contemplation, “Sanja, I know that he made your promise not to tell me, but I think you know that was a mistake.”

“Mr. Cyclops is my friend,” Sanja tossed Logan’s words back at him, “He helped me when I was lost in that desert and…”

“We need to find him now so that he isn’t lost in this world that Mr. Atlas asked you to help him create,” Logan replied thinking about all of the potential dangers awaiting Scott outside of the walls of Sanja’s castle, “You need to tell me where he is so that I can find a way to help him.”

“He doesn’t want your help,” Sanja replied with a tiny laugh of his own, “He said he wanted to go out on his own on this new mission.”

“What mission?” Logan asked wondering what Scott had come up with during Logan’s down time.

“He plans to save the goddess from her prison just like he wanted you to come here to save him,” Sanja explained shifting his position on the floor. He untwisted his legs and stood up before looking around the room again, “I just wanted to see if you wanted to have breakfast with me. My mom is making chocolate chip waffles with chocolate ice-cream and…”

“Sure,” Logan answered with a nod, “we can have breakfast together, but only if you tell me where the goddess is.”

“If I do that, then you are going to go after Mr. Cyclops,” Sanja shook his head in refusal, “He said that you would want to follow him, but you can’t do it.”

“Mr. Cyclops means well, but if you want to help him, then you need to tell me where…” Logan began preparing to say something more when Sanja turned his back to Logan.

“Meet me for breakfast and I will think about it,” Sanja called over his shoulder, not bothering to give Logan another look when Logan found himself realizing that the child they’d come to for help was proving to be more of a pain in the ass than Logan cared to admit. Looking to the dagger again beside him, Logan reached for his handle remembering Hades’ earlier request to have Logan destroy the boy.

“Not a chance,” Logan mouthed to himself gripping on the handle of the blade. Without hesitation he moved out from beneath the blankets putting his clothing on before sliding the blade into his boot, careful to keep it protected from the boy or anyone else who’d come seeking it out to fill the request Hades had made out of him.

“What have we gotten ourselves into?” Logan frowned turning his attention to the bedroom window. Outside of the warmth of the castle he could see a fresh layer of snow on the ground, drawing emphasis to the path leading up to the castle. Now instead of being dark and foreboding it was lined with oversized candy canes and green and red lollypops strung together by what appeared to be caramel corn ropes leading up to the entrance the room faced. Now alone in his room and faced with the morning alone with Sanja, Logan turned his attention to the toy soldier uniform shirt that he’d been given the previous day. Now, as he held it in his hands, he found himself wishing for something a bit more familiar—something with a bit more comfort as the thick, rough fabric transformed in his fingers to reveal his blue and yellow uniform that he’s grown quite accustomed to back home. It was the epitome of Wolverine as he began to dress in the new clothing.

“This is more like it,” Logan mouthed approvingly as he finished getting dressed. Now feeling a bit more in his comfort zone, Logan looked to the door to the bedroom again and found himself ready to face what was ahead of him once and for all, “Here goes nothing.”

* * *

It took about half a dozen waffles and half a carton of ice-cream before Sanja reluctantly gave up Scott’s location to Logan. Now armed with the truth and a whole hell of a lot of rage, Logan marched up the hilly road beyond Sanja’s castle not giving a damn about what the consequences of his actions were. Enraged by the deadly games Atlas was playing with the fate of the world around him, Logan found himself ready for war—preparing to take on any threat that came his way when he made it his mission to seek out Scott.

“There will be lots of guards,” Sanja had cautioned as Logan remembered the blueprint of the building that Sanja had drawn out for him with a blue crayon. In his detailed drawing he pinpointed the spot in the castle where Scott would’ve gone seeking out Persephone. It would be there they could work to break the hold Atlas had upon them once Scott had freed the goddess and reunited her with her long-lost love. The war could be over and then Atlas would lose some of his power. He would no longer be the host to such a horrible place creating chaos around him.

“Guards won’t be a problem,” Logan had assured Sanja without giving too much away about his power. Now with his claws unsheathed, he found himself staring down the army that Atlas had outside of his compound. They were all dressed in black, each looking less like a person and more like the machine that Atlas had put together to keep himself protected behind the dark, solid, steel walls of his compound.

“Coward,” Logan mouthed rushing towards the guards who were now shooting at him. Each one was trying to take him down, to keep him from going into the compound, but with determination pumping through his veins, he kept pushing forward cutting them down like paper dolls until blood and carnage surrounded him serving as the only reminder of the fallen soldiers. Looking around Logan snarled feeling himself on the verge of becoming feral when a familiar voice beckoned him from his fight.

“You didn’t really think that I would allow you to do this alone, did you?” Hades questioned causing Logan to turn around and see the lord of the underworld approaching him, “If Atlas has Persephone in there, then he shall not be spared by the time this is all over.”

“I thought you said you weren’t able to get involved in this,” Logan snarled lowering his hands and allowing the blood to drip down onto the ground around him. Like before the crimson pools caused serpents to rise from their liquid surface scattering off into the distance with a hiss. Logan realized with each movement they made they were growing and becoming larger than he’d anticipated as they towered over Logan.

“Atlas has pushed this too far,” Hades explained with a ripple over his pale skin. He turned his attention to the compound before them. With a wave of his hand, he sent the serpents into the compound causing the walls of the gate to come crashing down around them, “He needs to learn his place. He’s going to pay for thinking he could live to tell the tale of how he’s manipulated our world in such a twisted fashion.”

“Oh, believe me he has,” a soft, feminine voice replied when Logan looked up to discover the face of the woman Scott had been spending his time with emerging from the walls of the compound. Unlike before she wore a soft, pale peach flowing gown covered with what appeared to be moss and tiny flowers. Around her head she had a ring of white roses and there was a soft glow to her skin as she commanded their attention with the sound of her voice.

“My queen,” Hades knelt before Logan surprising Logan with the obedience that her presence brought to the dark god.

“My king,” she smiled closing the distance between them.

Hades tossed Logan a warning glance before bowing his head down to her. Realizing the overwhelming weight of her presence Logan knelt as well waiting as she crossed the path leading from the compound to join Hades and Logan. She glanced briefly at Logan before moving towards Hades. Without a word she reached out to touch the top of his head gently stroking his dark hair. The soft touch caused his skin to ripple again, leaving him to shiver at the contact.

“My love,” she whispered warmly as her long, slender fingers touched over the side of his face, “how I have missed you so.”

“Forgive me my love for being too blind to see the truth. I was deceived by his deception my queen. I’m ashamed of the things I have done under his influence,” Hades begged of her. His chin upturned as he reached for her hand, guiding it to his lips in a chaste kiss, “Atlas clouded my thoughts with his lies.”

“He has caused a great many problems for all of us,” Persephone replied turning her attention to Logan for a brief moment, “but no more.”

“Where is…?” Logan began thinking about his purpose in being there, “Where is Scott?”

“He’s on his way out with Atlas,” Persephone explained ready to say something more when the sound of footsteps caused Logan to look away from the woman beside him.

“Slim,” Logan called out, rising from his knees to run over towards Scott. Although Scott hadn’t said a word, there was so much happening behind his face, so many things that Logan couldn’t quite read when his strong, powerful fingers gripped on the arm of the man who’d threatened Logan when he’d first arrived on the island.

“Logan,” Scott nodded squeezing at Atlas’ arm and pushing him forward to stand between the two men, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you where I was going.”

“It looks like you had things covered without me,” Logan offered up with a breath of relief when Scott looked beyond where Logan stood to the carnage on the lawn.

“So, did you apparently,” Scott mouthed squeezing at Atlas’ arm again in an attempt to coax him down onto his knees on the lawn, “Don’t move!”

“I can take care of this mess,” Persephone spoke up with a smile. She waved her hand around in the air leaving Logan to watch as each fallen body was replaced by vibrant, colorful flowers replacing the darkness of the fortress with a lush, beautiful garden. The stone path Logan had walked upon was now transformed into a clear, blue stream as the sky shifted revealing the promise of a beautiful morning around them, “His madness has come to an end.”

“Not yet,” Hades answered rising to his feet to join his bride when another sound caused Logan to turn around and see Sanja moving through the garden. He was stepping forward causing the weeds around him to part opening up a path around him all the while keeping his eyes forward on the group. With a neutral expression on his face, he touched the flowers beside them, skimming his fingers over their surface as Logan watched Hades move forward.

“Don’t,” Logan warned placing himself between Hades and Sanja refusing to let Hades harm the boy when Scott placed his hand on Logan’s shoulder.

“Logan, it’s alright. I understand now,” Scott whispered coaxing Logan to step aside when Hades moved beyond Logan to walk towards the boy.

“But…” Logan began thinking about the dagger that Hades had given him with the intention of using it to murder Sanja.

“It’s okay,” Scott whispered when Sanja emerged from the grass and Hades stood before the boy. Tension coiled over Logan’s body causing him to wonder what was happening when Hades dropped down to his knees and extended his arms pulling the boy into a tight embrace.

“What the…?” Logan questioned finding himself at a loss when Sanja readily returned the embrace hugging Hades tightly as tears streamed down his face.

“Zagreus,” Hades whispered squeezing his arms around the boy tighter than before. He pulled the boy up off the ground, guiding him to his chest as Logan turned to Scott again with a puzzled expression on his face.

“I don’t…I don’t understand,” Logan confessed as Scott moved in closer to him.

“Zagreus…Sanja…is the son of Hades and Persephone. That’s why his presence in our world felt so off. It’s why I couldn’t just take him back with me because there was something about him that was different,” Scott explained quietly as he stood beside Logan, “He is no mutant Logan, but rather a god that was trapped in our world by Atlas and led to believe he was mortal. His gifts are simply a glimpse of his identity being suppressed by a man who’d thrived on madness.”

“So, you’re saying that…” Logan looked over to the exchange between Sanja and Hades.

“Atlas took a journey to our world, stole our boy from the Underworld and took him to your world where his memory was stolen from him,” Persephone explained further with her focus directed on Logan, “Those people that Zagreus was led to believe were his parents held him prisoner on your world hiding him from us and erasing all that he was until your colleague found him in the desert. There he was tasked with bringing Zagreus home back to us and breaking the spell this awful place had upon us.”

“You mean that…?” Logan questioned turning to Scott again.

“Charles sent me to find the boy before our world fell to pieces and reality shifted,” Scott offered up with clarity that hadn’t been present in his earlier exchanges with Logan, “When we went out to Vegas, Atlas wasn’t far behind. He abducted me before I could complete my mission in bringing him back to the school…”

“Where Charles Xavier was to bring Zagreus back home to us,” Persephone finished with a broad smile over her beautiful face, “and now that he’s home again.”

“We’re never going to lose sight of him again,” Hades promised rejoining the group as he held Sanja in his arms.

“Wow…” Logan swallowed down hard. He rubbed his palms over his thighs wondering what in the world he was experiencing when everything around him seemed to twist and transform taking him from the place Atlas had created to the lonely airport where he’d first taken off in search for Scott, “What the…?”

“It’s time for you to go home,” Hades explained shifting Sanja in his arms and offering his hand to Scott, “I can’t thank you enough for bringing our boy back to us Cyclops.”

“It was my pleasure,” Scott readily reached out to embrace the god before him, “Only next time let’s not take so long to find a resolution.”

“There won’t be a next time,” Hades promised as Sanja turned to look at Scott and Logan, “because we are not letting this one be lost ever again.”

“You both were so kind to our son that I feel like a token of our appreciation is in order,” Persephone stood beside Hades. She reached out to touch her husband’s shoulder offering up a small squeeze when the warmth of her smile filled the empty airport runway with light all around them.

“Just knowing that he is safe and with his family is all the thanks we need,” Scott smiled politely doing his best to stay focused on the mission at hand, “As for Atlas…”

“He will be dealt with for his transgressions,” Hades promised behind a clenched jaw when the memory of the prisoner they’d taken seemed to consume his thoughts, “We have our own methods of dealing with traitors and…”

“What about the false goddess?” Logan couldn’t help, but question remembering the woman who’d held Scott captive for so long.

“She will also be dealt with as there is a penalty to pay for her deceptions,” Persephone added with a hint of darkness behind her light-colored eyes, “However, she’s no longer your problem. You both are free to return to the lives you’ve left behind moving forward without the weight of this experience holding you down.”

“So then that’s it, huh?” Logan cleared his throat and looked over to Hades once again, “We’re square.”

“For now,” Hades nodded offering his hand to Logan, “although should the fates decide that our paths shall cross again one day, I would gladly take you on as one of my soldiers in my army.”

“I think I’ll take my chances on my own on the outside here,” Logan teased with a hint of seriousness in his tone. Reluctantly Logan reached out to shake the god’s hand.

“You never know what the future may hold in store for all of us,” Hades’ voice slurred when his grip on Logan’s hand constricted, “I imagine one day our paths are destined to cross again.”

As soon as their fingers touched, Logan felt his skin bristling with sensation, caught up in a cluster of memories that Logan was convinced belonged to Hades. In a matter of moments Logan could see the first time Hades looked on at Persephone in the field, he could feel the desire and passion between them during their courtship until the moment that their son became a part of their lives. The touch brought with it a high emotion when Logan found himself reflecting on his own past guiding him from the darkness surrounded him to the light he’d found in having Scott at his side.

“Right,” Logan finally pulled away from the handshake feeling himself shaken by the emotional rollercoaster that Hades’ touch had provided him with.

“I will never forget all you have done for our family,” Persephone announced throwing her arms around Scott in a tight embrace. For a moment he stood frozen, not quite sure how to respond until he finally, politely returned the hug.

Watching closely, Logan shifted his gaze between Persephone and Hades wondering what the god thought about his wife’s sudden attachment to Scott. Granted Scott had spent his time with the doppelganger of the goddess, but there seemed to be an unspoken connection between them that Logan guessed had formed in their time during her rescue. However, what struck him as most curious what the soft spoken, breeze of a whisper that she spoke into Scott’s ear that Logan was almost convinced he hadn’t been meant to hear.

“The fight for your soul has taken you down a long treacherous path of darkness, but you no longer need to fight your fate. You are no longer cursed Scott Summers,” she whispered to Scott, squeezing her arms around him tighter than before, “To find true peace, you must let go of your past and embrace the present with all your heart holding onto your future with the one who grants you true freedom. Happiness is yours for the taking as long as you stop fighting the inevitable destiny you were made for.”

“Mr. Cyclops,” Sanja spoke up causing the group to focus on the small boy. He wiggled out of his father’s arms causing Scott and Persephone to part from one another. With a wide grin on his fate, he moved in closer to join them extending his hands out towards both Logan and Scott, “thank you for helping me find my family again.”

“I told you that we would sort it all out,” Scott replied stepping away from Persephone. With a tip of his head, Scott moved forward and began kneeling down before the small boy, “Although I have to admit I’m almost disappointed that we won’t be spending any more time at my home hanging out with Alex like I promised you.”

“You never know what could happen,” Sanja mischievously smiled up at Scott, “Maybe the next time I get bored being here I can still stop by sometime and play with you guys at the school.”

“We’d be honored to have you,” Scott agreed reaching out to embrace the small boy, “You stay safe Sanja.”

“You too,” Sanja hugged him tightly before stepping back and focusing on Logan before him, “Mr. Wolverine?”

“Yes?” Logan asked looking to the boy again.

“Maybe next time we hang out you can pick out the ice-cream flavor,” Sanja suggested with a smile.

“I’m counting on it, kiddo,” Logan offered up a high five saying his goodbyes to Sanja before taking his place beside Scott.

“Thank you again,” Persephone spoke up with a warm smile. Her eyes shifted between Scott and Logan seemingly holding behind them a secret Logan hadn’t been privy to in the exchange, “and remember don’t take a minute of your lives for granted because one day they will be over and…”

“….then you’ll be back in our world again,” Hades added with a sly grin, “I know what you said before, but I must admit you’d make one hell of a general in my army Logan.”

“Like I said I think I’ll take my chances out in my world for a little bit longer,” Logan decided brazenly sliding his arm around Scott’s waist to offer up a squeeze, “especially now that I’ve got a lot ahead of me.”

“You both deserve the best,” Persephone nodded before turning to her family. Without a word they seemed to share an unspoken thought before taking a step away from Scott and Logan, “Be well you two. May you be blessed from here on out with everything you’ve ever dreamt of.”

“We wish the same for you,” Scott offered up when a bright, blinding light flooded the airport runway they were in. It caused Logan to close his eyes and grit his teeth, unable to ignore the white, hot feeling that surrounded him, but almost as soon as it began it was over leaving Scott and Logan alone on the empty runway with one another.

“Well…that was one hell of a confusing mission,” Logan said with a small laugh. He turned towards Scott gauging his companion’s response when Scott looked down at him.

“I’d be lying if I told you it all made sense to me,” Scott confessed looking up to the darkened sky above. He exhaled sharply, bringing his arms out into the night around him and smiling as the first hints of rain fell upon them.

“It’s good to be home,” Logan smiled watching Scott turn around on the runway, taking in his surroundings as if it finally hit him that they were home again, “That was…something…”

“I can’t say we’ve ever encountered that one before,” Scott readily agreed taking a step forward and bringing his arms around Logan’s shoulders.

“I wouldn’t even know how to explain it,” Logan divulged with a rumble of laughter when Scott leaned forward to press an uncharacteristically playful kiss over the top of Logan’s head, “I mean one minute you’re picking up an abandoned mutant boy in Vegas and the next…”

“…we’re reuniting a young god with his god and goddess parents,” Scott finished with a shake of his head. Laughter filled the air around them, warm and welcoming as it fell from Scott’s lips with the clouds offering up the first droplets of rain upon the pavement. Bringing his hand up over Scott’s on his chest, Logan offered up a small squeeze when Scott laughed again, “Yeah, no one would believe it even if we told them all of what happened.”

“They might believe the part about you leading a war against Hades’ army as the secret weapon that…” Logan began with a chuckle of his own as his fingers pressed over the warmth of Scott’s skin against his.

“I don’t care what they believe,” Scott slurred pressing a damp kiss over the side of Logan’s neck. His arms squeezed tighter around Logan’s broad shoulders holding him closer until Logan turned around to face Scott with a newfound curiosity upon his rough features.

“What do you care about now?” Logan questioned only to feel Scott leaning down to cut him off abruptly with a quick, eager kiss.

“Just this,” Scott mouthed with words vibrating against Logan’s lips. His hold on Logan’s shoulders constricted around Logan drawing him closer when a rumble of thunderclouds rolled above them. As their lips bumped and collided, Logan’s arms surrounded Scott’s lean, slender waist, coaxing the warmth of Scott in against him. Together their mouths moved in unison teasing and tasting one another until finally breathless Scott withdrew from the kiss and pressed his forehead against Logan’s, “but as for everything else that happened when you found your way out to the island…”

“It seems next to impossible,” Logan slurred arching his head up towards Scott once again, “You and I together caught in the mix of craziness and…”

“Finding our way back to each other,” Scott finished knowingly as he straightened up his posture. His smile had faced, but his warm flushed features revealed something far more primitive happening behind his visor. Extending his fingers out at a leisurely pace, Scott touched the side of Logan’s face before letting out a long sigh, “That part I think everyone would readily believe.”

“So, does that mean…?” Logan swallowed down a nervous breath when Scott’s thumb grazed the center of Logan’s parted lips and tickling the flesh with the movement, “After everything, are you saying that…?”

“No more hiding from what this is,” Scott promised stroking the side of Logan’s face. It caused Logan to close his eyes and bask in the warmth of Scott’s touch, “I want the whole world to know that we belong to each other—that you are mine in every way imaginable.”

“I want that too,” Logan agreed guiding Scott in towards him again for another wild, explicit kiss as it was clear that fate was finally smiling down upon them.


	7. Chapter 7

“I have to admit I’m still a little bit conflicted on the way this ended,” Logan hesitated as he pulled his motorcycle to a stop at the school’s entrance gate. Turning the engine off, he observed Scott behind him, snuggled up against Logan’s body as they’d shared their ride back to the school with one another, “Just thinking about what happened with you and Atlas…”

“I can’t quite explain it myself,” Scott paused seemingly assessing the details in his mind over his rescue mission, “Sanja told me where I could find Persephone. He even described how I could use the key he created to free her mind, but with Atlas…”

“What happened in there Slim?” Logan questioned twisting to look at Scott wholly as they sat on the property’s exterior just beyond the walls of their home with one another.

“When I freed her from her cell everything was as it should be,” Scott explained in a low, quiet tone. His face was masked in shadows as if he was struggling to recall the details of what had transpired in Logan’s absence, “When Persephone stepped out of her cell something changed and…”

“What?” Logan inquired again.

“I just had this feeling—this sense that for the first time in a long time that everything was finally as where it was meant to be in the universe,” Scott divulged quietly when his fingers traced over Logan’s outer thigh and offered up a slight squeeze.

“And Atlas? Did he just give up without a fight or…?” Logan thought back to the man who’d imprisoned them on his twisted island world away from all that they knew.

“He just…” Scott seemed to struggle with his thoughts before something crossed over his handsome features. For an instant there was a darkness within his blank expression that left Logan with more questions than answers.

“What?” Logan asked again starting the motorcycle up once again.

“He knew that it was over for him and he accepted his fate,” Scott confessed leaning forward to wrap his arms around Logan’s thick torso. As the gates to the school opened and they made their way up the long, familiar drive back to the place they’d called home for so many years, an old sense of familiarity took over them. With it erased the years of tension and pain that had surrounded them—taking them from colleagues to rivals to lovers separated by time and distance. Now they were united at peace for the first time in a long time now that it seemed the universe was right again.

When the finally reached the school, Logan could feel the body-hugging squeeze of Scott’s bicep around his ribs, surrounding him as Scott’s lips teased over the side of Logan’s neck. Without a word Logan pulled the motorcycle to a stop just beyond the bushes—far from the prying eyes of the students within when Scott’s long, slender fingers curled in over Logan’s inner thigh.

“We’re finally home again,” Scott whispered heatedly. His lips grazed over the side of Logan’s neck, teeth nipping on his earlobe. His magic fingers pushed over the inseam of Logan’s jeans, skimming over the denim in a slow, calculated press.

“That we are,” Logan’s breath hitched when Scott’s grip centered in over Logan’s pants, pushing up over his groin to take a handful of the man who’d driven them home after their flight home. When Scott’s teeth sank into Logan’s earlobe more aggressively, Logan couldn’t help, but reveal an agonized moan, “Slim, what are you doing?”

“Welcoming you home,” Scott whispered palming Logan through his jeans. Taking the time to trace the outline of Logan’s arousal, Scott twisted and curled his fingers, palming him more aggressively until finally his deft fingers plucked open the button on Logan’s jeans in order to push their way in beneath his zipper.

Clearing his throat, Logan shifted on the motorcycle looking around the empty courtyard area beyond where they were parked hoping like hell that they were still alone. In the clearing the only sound that surrounded them was the soft droplets of rain that had seemingly followed them back on their ride home, serving as the only reminder of the time they’d put behind them at the airport. Now with Scott’s tongue in the shell of his ear and his hand entrenched in Logan’s jeans, coaxing Logan’s body to react, Logan found that he was mesmerized, caught up in the spell that Scott had weaved upon him.

“That’s it,” Scott encouraged alternating kisses and licks while his fingers carefully worked to pull Logan out of his pants freeing him from the denim prison that separated them on the way home.

With a shift of his hips, Logan pushed up off the motorcycle allowing the rough slide of his jeans down past his hips, over the tops of his thighs until he sat perched upon the motorcycle with Scott’s hands upon him. With a low growl he reached out seizing Scott’s wrist tightly. Briefly Scott ceased motion upon him, opting to lean forward over Logan’s shoulder to investigate Logan’s lap seeing the ways that he’d excited Logan in their journey home with one another. With a sultry whisper over the back of Logan’s ear, Scott pushed forward gripping Logan’s cock in hand. His skilled fingers worked up over Logan’s shaft, pushing up and dropping down over Logan’s foreskin, carefully massaging each hotspot until his thumb brushed over Logan’s wide tip. The sensation Scott created caused Logan to shudder and shake, enveloped in his lover’s touch, caught up in the one thing that he hadn’t been able to ignore in their time with one another through the years. The sexual energy sparked between them taking Logan from their journey to the warmth of Scott’s ministrations relishing the way that his lover had known how to work him to a frenzy with a simple touch.

“You’re playing with fire Slim,” Logan moaned unabashedly guiding his hips up off the motorcycle seat, savoring the firm grip Scott had on him. With each tantalizing movement, Logan found himself lost in Scott, caught up in desire and yearning intermingled with concern when his gaze shot back to the empty courtyard. He found himself focusing on the lone, abandoned basketball on the damp concrete frozen in its abandonment, yet sitting beside them like an uninvited voyeur as Scott worked to drive Logan mad with his touch.

“This time we won’t get burned,” Scott promised sliding forward to brush his hips over Logan’s bottom knowing only too well that the hint of Scott’s arousal would be enough to drive Logan mad with lust.

“This is too out in the open for what I want to do to you,” Logan gripped Scott’s wrist harder hoping to get his message across when his eyes shifted to the garage before them, “We should put the bike away and get inside where it’s warm.”

“Oh, I plan on getting inside,” Scott promised grinding his body against Logan’s in a blatant, suggestive movement, “but the others can wait.”

“Slim,” Logan gritted his teeth and arched his head back. With low rumble of a moan, he found himself surrounded by the beast within. Unable to contain himself he ground his body back into Scott, savoring the hard heat burning beneath Scott’s slacks pressed up against his muscular bottom.

“Tell me what we need to do this is still in my car,” Scott stated in a labored breath. His free hand moved up to Logan’s abdomen, pushing up his shirt to grip at his muscular abdomen, “Tell me it hasn’t been discarded in my time away.”

“It hasn’t,” Logan practically huffed thinking about all the fantasies he’d carried with him in Scott’s absence. There were so many things still left unsaid between them, but as Logan felt the heat of Scott disappear behind him, he found himself on edge. Looking to his side, he realized Scott was walking to the door to the garage, unashamed of the blatant arousal that Logan had ignited within. Without a word out of Scott, Logan dutifully followed him into the garage knowing by scent alone that it was empty aside from the two of them and the things that Scott had suggested for their time together.

Turning his attention to Scott’s sportscar, Logan watched as Scott opened the passenger side door and leaned inside. He popped open the latch on the glove compartment, bringing a low popping sound with the movement until Scott’s long fingers gripped the bottle that Logan knew would be within the walls of Scott’s expensive automobile.

“Slim…” Logan spoke up in a labored breath watching as Scott set the bottle on top of the hood of his car.

“You know what I want Logan,” Scott folded his arms in front of his chest leaning back and waiting when Logan pulled his own shirt up over his head. His pants fell to the floor with his forward movement leaving him naked and ready for the man before him.

When it seemed that Scott made no move to even the odds between them, Logan unsheathed his claws preparing to tear at Scott’s things. However, Scott held his finger up in the air and shook his head refusing to allow Logan the luxury of the rough passion play in ripping Scott’s clothing to shreds.

“On the hood,” Scott ordered stepping aside long enough to expose the smooth, shiny surface of Scott’s car beneath him. He knew what Scott was asking, but he stood still stubbornly lingering as Scott’s fingers moved over the hem of his shirt. With eyes set on watching Logan behind his glasses, Scott methodically removed his shirt, tossing it to the ground near the back tire of his sportscar. Tapping his foot on the ground, he motioned to the hood of his car once again, “Now Logan.”

“I’m not yet properly motivated,” Logan stood taller, puffing his chest out. Shivers coiled up and down over his body when Scott gave him a long, eager once over. The tip of his chin and the flush of his smooth skin revealed desire beyond words. The scent in the air was intoxicating, but it wasn’t until the moment that Scott stepped forward reaching out to collect the base of Logan’s cock and offer up a small tug that Logan realized Scott had his full attention.

“The hood…now,” Scott commanded no longer the voice of a lover, but that of his field leader set on giving his unruly companion an order. There was a subtle hint of lust—a warning note in his voice that led Logan to realize he’d be a fool not to comply.

Wordlessly Logan moved forward placing his large palms on the hood of Scott’s overpriced car wondering if Scott realized the dangers involved in such a tentative position with the weight of Logan stretched out over the side of his car. However, Logan’s concerns were short-lived when he felt the harsh tug of fingers through the back of his wild hair. The warmth of Scott’s thumb over the back of his neck was forceful enough to guide him forward, to coax him to comply to Scott’s demand without putting up a fight. Instead Logan held onto the hood feeling Scott’s leg kick between his thighs, parting them further when Logan purposely pushed his bottom out, offering up a teasing twist of his hips. He was met by a quick pinch on the ride side of his bottom before Scott’s slick fingers were pushing into his crease, coaxing his legs apart further.

“You have no idea how many nights I thought about this,” Scott divulged. His voice was rough and uneven, caught up in a tension that hadn’t been present in their earlier exchanges. Perhaps it was the thought of being home again or the idea of what they’d put behind them that had coaxed him into the moment of dominance, but as Scott’s long, perfect fingers prepared him working their way inside of Logan’s tight opening, Logan found he hadn’t wanted to question it. Instead he gripped Scott’s car, contemplating the damage he could do to it when Scott removed his fingers from within Logan. Instead he stepped forward, guiding his long, hardened manhood to Logan’s opening shamelessly teasing Logan with every rub and press he made against Logan’s body, but never breeching it.

“Slim…” Logan panted ready to snarl and protest when Scott bent over biting down on Logan’s shoulder in a harsh, aggressive pinch of teeth and dominance. With the bite, his mouth savored Logan’s flesh, daring Logan to protest their positioning until finally Logan snarled fully at one with the beast within.

“The things I’m going to do to you,” Scott practically purred sliding his damp tip over Logan’s opening again and again, but still holding back on their union, “You have no idea how many night’s I’ve dreamed about doing just this—having you here on top of this car screwing your brains out while everyone else is inside doing their own thing.”

“Scott…” Logan snarled when Scott’s hand pushed up into his hair again wrenching his head back so that their lips could meet in a sloppy, reckless kiss.

“It’s good to be home,” Scott practically growled, pushing forward and making his way into Logan’s hot, welcoming form with a hard rush of movement. His hips smacked hard against Logan’s bottom, not bothering to be slow or concerned about their union now that being home again had unleashed something that had been locked away since his absence two months ago.

“Damn,” Logan cursed bringing one hand up from the hood around reaching around to squeeze at Scott’s shoulder. He pulled Scott in for another kiss, wiggling his bottom to meet the hard thrusts that Scott offered him. With each skilled movement, Logan found himself immersed in the scent of Scott and sex, riding the hard wave of desire with Scott’s hands over him, his body buried deep inside of Logan revealing a much more primitive part of the past they’d shared with one another. With each pounding movement, Logan found himself caught up in Scott’s lust, surrounded by the hunger that had finally returned to the man he’d loved. However, when he felt Scott’s fingers over the back of Logan’s neck again in a hard, urgent grip, Logan discovered that he was soon slammed down over the hood of Scott’s car bent over and spread out before the man he loved entirely Scott’s for the taking.

“Logan,” Scott spoke his name almost as if it was an order—as if it was a preemptive disciplinary action that would lead to dire consequences if Logan hadn’t complied. It was then that Logan realized that Scott had paused momentarily in his movements. He pulled out of Logan’s body simply taking the time to pet at Logan’s inner thigh. The tips of his fingers skimmed over the hair-dusted surface causing trembling shudders to overtake Logan, caught up in that place between desire and satisfaction, lost in yearning for their completion all over again, “God I love you.”

“I love you too Slim,” Logan moaned caught up in sensory overload with his lover behind him, caressing his body, taking the time to relearn everything Logan had missed in their time apart. With each slow movement Scott’s fingertips made over Logan’s skin, working their way up behind his testicles to that part of him that Logan hadn’t offered up readily to many others, Logan found himself on edge wishing like hell that he could put to words what Scott had done for him time and time again.

“I’ll always love you,” Scott assured shifting his tone to a muted whisper. The words fell from his lips as a solemn promise meant for Logan’s ears alone until that fateful moment that tenderness had awakened inside of them. It lingered if only for a moment before Scott pushed Logan down over the top of his hood once again, bringing the distance between them to a close with Scott buried deep inside of him ready to make up for the time they’d lost with one another all over again.

* * *

  
“We did the right thing in letting them sort things out with Atlas and that imposter, right?” Logan half questioned tucking his shirt back into his jeans. He tipped his head up watching Scott finish with the button on his slacks, attempting to right the obvious disarray they’d been in together when Scott had taken a detour to the garage to consummate their return to the school. Now as Logan looked at the damp strands of Scott’s hair wildly framing Scott’s face, he knew full well that they wouldn’t be fooling anyone in their return. Their distraction would be beyond apparent and everything else would be obvious once they were forced to face the reality of the world they’d returned to, “I mean they had to be pretty pissed about what was happening. To mess with gods like that and believe that there wouldn’t be consequences…”

“I’d like to believe that it will be fine, and Atlas will never get the opportunity to try something like that again. The things that he did were out of hand and I’m not sure that we could’ve stopped him on our own,” Scott answered zipping up his slacks. He rubbed his fingers over his thighs attempting to come off as calm and collected when they both knew that debriefing the others was the last thing on any of their minds.

“Hey,” Logan reached out pulling Scott aside as they stood on the threshold to the garage preparing near the door to the school preparing to reenter the world that Scott had left behind months earlier, “Atlas was evil and needed to be stopped, but the way it happened… I mean it was…it was the right way…leaving them all there…”

When Scott didn’t answer Logan pressed the issue once again, “Slim!”

“What?” Scott questioned with a small frown all the while seemingly shaking Logan’s thoughts, “Sanja and his family are together again, safe in their world destined to live out the rest of their days together. They are happy and together. What more could we ask for?”

“Right. We did the right thing,” Logan agreed remembering their final goodbye with Sanja and his parents. Closing his eyes Logan felt a moment of reflection upon him knowing that he and Scott had returned home ready to pick up the pieces of the life they’d left behind them. It had been a long, grueling journey, but now as they stood outside of the school, Logan could sense the apprehension behind his lover’s weary movements, “Didn’t we?”

“Hades and Persephone will take care of the situation in their own way. It was their world that Atlas had stolen their lives from them which means it is under the guidelines of their rules,” Scott answered taking a moment to stand with Logan outside of the school.

“What are those exactly Slim?” Logan found himself met by hesitation, “The gods that we’ve dealt with before haven’t been entirely forgiving over acts of treason against them.”

“I’m aware,” Scott acknowledged behind pinched lips, “Persephone promised me when I freed her from her prison that she would also work to send that girl who had been with Sanja back home with her family again now that the threat of Atlas no longer lingered. She swore to me that both Atlas and the imposter would be brought to justice…”

“You think they are going to kill them?” Logan almost hated to ask when a heaviness carried upon him causing him to question the resolution to their situation.

“Knowing Hades, I imagine that he’s got something bigger in mind for them. Death is an easy answer but making the both really remember the consequences of their actions,” Scott paused contemplating the weight of his words, “that will undoubtedly be a long, grueling process in their sentencing carried out again and again.”

“I almost feel sorry for Atlas in knowing that,” Logan shuddered remembering the overwhelming fear Hades had once ignited inside of him.

“Do you?” Scott questioned tipping his head to look down at Logan once again.

“Almost,” Logan shrugged his shoulders, “There’s never really a right way to deal with an evil son of a bitch like him, but…”

“Persephone promised me that she would be fair and just in deciding his fate,” Scott finally revealed with a shake of his head, “which is far more considerate than what Atlas did to all of us.”

“And you believe her?” Logan arched a suspicious brow.

“I have no reason to think otherwise,” Scott answered cryptically as Logan wonder what Scott truly felt over Persephone’s promise, but before he could question it further Scott seemed to shift gears on their conversation, “but the important thing is that they are together again as a family. Knowing what it is like to spend so much time without your son thinking he was lost to you forever…”

“Scott,” Logan reached out to take Scott’s hand in his, “Nate never gave up on you in all the time you were gone. He’s still here hoping that you’ll be back again.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Scott nodded in response.

“He was the one who was helping me when you first disappeared,” Logan continued to share with Scott about the world they left behind, “He and Alex were searching for a sign of you, but when nothing came up…”

“I can only imagine how hard this must’ve been on all of you. I never intended to put you through this kind of pain again,” Scott sighed poignantly, “We always knew that something like this could happen. Hell, after all we’ve been through our time is always tentative each time we step out on a mission, but it is a risk we take when…”

“Not anymore,” Logan cut him off abruptly, “At least not for a little while. Deal?”

“I’m sure we can work with that,” Scott answered with a non-answer as Logan frowned.

“Slim, can’t we just take some down time for a change?” Logan questioned with an objection on the tip of his tongue, “Chuck asks a lot of us, but maybe for a little while we could just…”

“See where the wind takes us,” Scott questioned curiously before patting the hood of his car suggestively to serve as a reminder of their previous actions.

“I know that is never going to be a possibility for us, but sometimes it would be nice to indulge the thought that we could live a relatively normal life away from all of this madness,” Logan reached out to pull Scott into a warm embrace. Arching up on his toes, he coaxed Scott to lean down and kiss him. Smiling up at his lover, he squeezed his strong arm around Scott’s waist once again, “We did the right thing in helping them find each other again Slim.”

“I think so too,” Scott’s brow creased with concern, but there was no turning back now. They’d made their decision and it was theirs to live with, “Charles may not understand us coming back like that without a more solid resolution given that I’m not entirely certain that he knew everything about Sanja despite what Persephone told us. I believe he had a suspicion like I did, but…”

“He’ll be proud of you for doing what was right,” Logan offered up squeezing his arm around Scott once again, “We both know that we did what needed to be done in helping Sanja find his way back home again.”

“I hope that it all turns out the way it was meant to be,” Scott sighed contemplating their actions once again before dismissing his doubts, “No matter. Now is about being home again. I’m sure there are going to be a lot of questions that we’ll need to answer and…”

“We’ll deal with them one day at a time,” Logan promised reaching for Scott’s hand and offering up a small squeeze, “together we’ve got this.”

“I know we do,” Scott held Logan’s hand in his simply welcoming the sentiment when they turned towards the school’s interior door once again.

“I love you,” Logan whispered offering up one last moment of sentimentality before he and Scott returned to the world they’d left behind.

“I love you too,” Scott promised keeping their fingers together for a few seconds longer. He squeezed Logan’s hand one last time before releasing Logan’s fingers in order to move out of the garage. However, before he had the opportunity the door swung open to reveal Jean standing on the other side with a wide grin over her features.

“Scott! Logan!” Jean practically squealed rushing out the door into the garage and throwing her arms around them both, “We thought we heard you both pull up before and…”

“Jean,” Scott sighed returning her embrace. Logan did the same as he looked beyond where Scott and Jean were to discover Emma standing in the doorway observing the scene with a smile of her own.

“We weren’t expecting to have you back so soon once we heard the news,” Emma announced moving out into the garage to join them, “We’d all imagined you would take more time to get things in order after the ordeal you put behind you.”

“It felt like an eternity,” Logan piped in preparing to give the women a rundown of their time at Elysium when Jean offered up a small laugh, “It was like living your own personal hell over and over again with each passing second we spent in that dreadful place.”

“Not quite the description we were anticipating when you got back,” Jean laughed lightly, stepping back and giving both Scott and Logan a very thorough once over, “I can’t imagine anyone ever saying that their honeymoon felt like an eternity of hell when they were looking for a getaway. I mean it’s bad enough that you both were beyond stressed here with the wedding, but the honeymoon should’ve been a relief. All the hard work was over, and the rest was simply for relaxing and…”

“These two aren’t just anyone,” Emma groaned outwardly. With a roll of her eyes she stepped forward before offering up a knowing smirk, “With Scott being quite the workaholic and Logan always in need of starting a fight, I’m sure a tour of Greece hardly seems like a titillating experience. I’m surprised that they aren’t divorced already given the level of complexity their fights always bring about.”

“Tour of Greece,” Logan repeated when his eyes darted down to the diamond studded golden band upon his finger. On the flight home it hadn’t been there, but now as he glanced over at Scott, he noticed that something had change with Scott wearing the matching ring on his finger causing Logan to take pause, “Um Slim…”

“I wouldn’t say it was a pleasure cruise in being gone so long considering that there were so many unknown factors that…” Scott’s words came to an abrupt ending when he spotted the ring on his finger, “Wait, did you say honeymoon?”

“That’s what they call it when two people go off and get married in Vegas on a whim before taking a grand vacation,” Emma rolled her eyes at them once again. She placed her hands on her hips in an almost chastising fashion, “Granted you both rubbed it in between the postcards and the messages here and there. I was almost jealous given that you appeared to be having the time of your lives out there. Anthony and I had discussed the idea ourselves before we’d settled in on Alaska when it was our time.”

“Alaska,” Scott repeated watching Emma nod encouragingly, “With Anthony? As in Tony Stark?”

“What other Anthony would I be referring to Scott?” Emma wrinkled her nose at him, “Naturally it wasn’t our first choice of destination, but Tony had this penchant for romance in wanting to make love surrounded by the northern lights. I can say a great many things about my husband, but he has a flare for the dramatics.”

“Wait a second,” Scott couldn’t mask his surprise, “Are you saying that you and Tony Stark are…?”

“Going to be horribly late for our anniversary dinner reservations, but knowing that you were returning I couldn’t resist the urge to stop in and see how things were with the both of you,” Emma continue to explain with a wry grin spreading over her suddenly flushed features, “Of course this means I’ll have to spend the rest of the evening finding a proper way to make up for my tardiness after the months of planning my husband put into this night.”

“So, you’re saying that you and Tony are…” Scott’s jaw practically dropped as he fought to process Emma’s words.

“Married Slim,” Logan finished for him with bewilderment all the while reaching out to snake his arm around Scott’s waist, “and they went to Alaska for their honeymoon.”

“Did you enjoy it?” Scott questioned knowing it was the last thing he’s wanted to ask, yet in seeing Emma beaming with enthusiasm before him looking happier than he’d remembered, he found himself at a loss.

“Absolutely darling,” Emma’s smile spilled across her beautiful features causing her to practically burst with elation of the memory that she’d shared with a man that Scott strongly distrusted, “We wanted to experience the thrill of the winter and Anthony was looking to recreate something out of a memory or a dream he once experienced when…”

“I’m so jealous,” Jean blurted out breaking her long silence long enough to revel in Emma’s words, “Your husband is just so romantic.”

“Of course, he is darling,” Emma paused delivering Jean a sardonic smirk. With a small laugh, she touched the side of Jean’s face, causing the auburn-haired woman to look into her eyes with a moment of elation, “It was divine and perhaps one day you’ll find a man of your own who will cater to your idea of romance in the ways you’ve been seeking out.”

“So, then you’re…happy,” Scott broke through his ex-lover’s words, “with Tony and…”

“He’s everything I’d ever imagined a husband to be Scott,” she replied redirecting her attention to Scott. Leaning in Emma pressed a quick kiss upon her Scott’s cheek before drawing back with a genuinely happy smirk, “It seems as though we’ve both finally discovered that our dreams are coming true.

“In every way imaginable,” Logan agreed reaching out to take Scott’s hand in his.

“So, it would seem,” Scott agreed watching Emma reach out for Logan’s free hand.

Instinctively Logan squeezed Emma’s fingers before Jean spoke up to address Scott once again, “Which is why we had been hoping you’d have the same outcome on your adventure. We want to know everything…”

“It was…” Scott swallowed down looking between Jean and Emma once again.

“More fun than we really want to hear about,” Jean teased wrinkling her nose at Scott’s answer.

“It’s just that everything happened so fast and…” Scott swallowed down hard, still struggling to process the changes that were surrounding him.

“What Slim means is that it was beautiful in Greece, but we spent a lot of time alone with each other and…” Logan boasted with an amused smirk puffing out his chest when Emma groaned lightly.

“And this is where we tune out of this conversation,” Jean teased shaking her head at Logan’s declaration, “As much as you think we want to hear it, we don’t.”

“I didn’t say I was sharing it with you,” Logan countered with a small laugh of his own, “You couldn’t handle the details.”

“No,” Jean sighed giving Scott a brief glance before forcing a painted smile, “I don’t think I could, but I’m happy for the both of you.”

“Jean…” Scott swallowed down hard seeing something pass behind her uneasy features.

“It wasn’t the same without you around stirring things up around here,” Emma piped in breaking through the tension in the air surrounding their return, “Trust me though. It was a lot more peaceful—quiet even without you here, but still we missed you nonetheless while you were parading around Greece as happy honeymooners.”

“Right. That’s exactly what we were…” Logan held his hand up in the air to inspect the ring watching as Scott did the same. Without a word, they exchanged looks knowing full well that somewhere along the lines Sanja had done something to alter their world now that Emma and Jean stood before them congratulating them on their phantom honeymoon vacation.

“I cannot wait to see all the photos you took…well not all the photos, but…,” Jean piped in excitedly.

“Speak for yourself darling,” Emma released Jean long enough to eye Logan knowingly, “I’d imagine you put that riding crop I packed in your suitcase to good use, didn’t you?”

“We…” Logan swallowed down hard watching as a bewildered expression carried over Scott’s still flushed face.

“Of course, you did and I’m so proud of the both of you,” Emma clapped her hands together approvingly. She moved in closer to Logan kissing him on the cheek before doing the same with Scott, “We have so much to tell you about when you were gone, but if I don’t start making my way out of here soon my husband may send out a search party and…”

“We really missed you both so much,” Jean added holding her arms out to hug Scott once again.

“We’ll have plenty of time for that,” Scott promised embracing Jean readily. He stepped back and did the same with Emma before returning to Logan’s side, “Thank you both for welcoming us back home.”

“It’s good to have you back,” Emma winked over at Scott before turning her attention to Logan, “both of you.”

“It’s good to be back,” Scott smiled watching as the two women walked back into the school leaving Scott and Logan to take in Jean and Emma’s response to them.

“What the hell just happened here?” Logan questioned raising his hand up when he noticed the golden band on his fingers, “The last time I saw them they were grudgingly getting along both talking about what they were going to do when we got back home.”

“I thought you said that you told them about what you asked of me,” Scott questioned looking over at Logan once again, “You said that they were getting along better than they were before. That they were…”

“Just because they were enjoying engaging in conversation with one another didn’t mean that suddenly they would be like…” Logan paused looking over in the direction that Emma and Jean had taken off with together, “that. I mean don’t get me wrong it’s kind of nice to think that Emma is happy with Tony and that without us they found something that…”

“Not now Logan,” Scott chastised with a frown, “That’s not about us, but this…”

Logan watched as Scott held his hand up in the air to reveal his ring.

“This is,” Logan agreed looking to his own hand with the matching band on his finger, “What the hell happened between the airport and the hood of your car when we were…?”

“Perhaps Persephone was on to something when she said we were about to have all our dreams come true,” Scott held his hand up under the light taking his time to inspect the ring on his finger, “She told me to stop fighting what I wanted out of life.”

“I heard what she said to you,” Logan confessed when Scott looked over to him again with a surprised expression on his face.

“Not all of it,” Scott admitted lowering his hand once again, “When I broke her out of her cell, she said she could sense that something was missing from my life. She told me that after the way I’d helped Sanja, that she wanted to help me find what I was looking for. She said that it was the only way to bring about true happiness in either one of our lives, but…”

“But how in the…? I mean I know she’s a goddess, but to pull something like this off without us knowing a thing about it,” Logan found himself at a loss in thinking about what the change would mean for them, “If we’re married, then…”

“…it proves that Sanja was undoubtedly still able to shape reality in his own way perhaps with a little help from his mother,” Scott waved his hand around again in the air, taking the time to scrutinize the ring on his finger.

“Which means that…” Logan watched Scott caught up in contemplation.

“We’re married and apparently so is Emma,” Scott lowered his hand and looked to Logan again as they encounter with Jean and Emma hung over the both of them, “which could mean there is a strong possibility that there are other things that have changed in our time away. If in this world we are destined to be with one another like this, then there’s no telling what else is destined to happen.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Logan frowned looking around the garage again. For a brief, fleeting moment his eyes fell upon Scott’s car remembering how nothing about its presence in the room had changed. Everything about the school aside from Emma and Jean had seemed just as it had always been, but now with the knowledge that something had changed around him, he felt as if he was seeing the world with new eyes.

“Are you really?” Scott tilted his head to the side to look down at Logan again.

“I could lie and tell you that yeah that my primary concern was that things are different without anyone really asking us if it is what we wanted, but right now I think I’m a bit bummed out that we missed out on a honeymoon with one another,” Logan confessed letting go of the other concerns weighing upon him over the new outcome they’d discovered. Instead he set them aside in reaching out to pull Scott in against his chest, “Given all we’ve been through you would think Sanja would’ve at least given us a taste of that.”

“I think we got more than a taste of that back in the castle and the temple or even on the plane ride home,” Scott reminded Logan with a crimson color spreading over his features, “If I can recall correctly there was that moment not long ago on top of my car where…”

“…I think I’d like to work on recreating that soon with a few modifications and quite a few more moments in the Danger Room,” Logan slurred coaxing Scott in for another eager kiss, “I mean if we are newlyweds after all…”

“…then it stands to reason that we’ve got plenty of time to enjoy the honeymoon phase of our relationship,” Scott suggested with a teasing grin.

“There still might be a lot of changes around us beyond just you and I,” Logan squeezed his arms around Scott tighter than before.

“Undoubtedly, but we’re good at adapting to change,” Scott offered up with a light, suggestive tone as his arms surrounded Logan once again, “As long as we have each other, then I’m guessing we can figure it out.”

“We always do,” Logan agreed as Logan found himself eager to return to this new world that the gods had offered him and Scott together. Yes, it had been a wild ride, but from here on out Logan imagined it was only going to get even better. With Scott at his side, he knew the possibilities were endless as he found himself for the first time in his life contemplating what it would mean to truly have a happily ever after.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, if you made it this far and you like the fic, then drop me a kudos or a note. Feedback is food for the author's soul and it makes a huge difference in what the future has in store for those you are reading stories from! I don't usually ask, but sometimes it would be nice to know that someone enjoys something I've been working on. To be honest it is really inspiring when someone says something positive, so please keep that in mind if you like something whether it's mine or someone else's story! A writer will never think negative of you for being supportive!


End file.
